Intersecting Worlds, Interconnected Hearts
by rowanred81
Summary: Vampire AU. Cover by summerfelldraws on Tumblr. Max Caulfield left Arcadia Bay five years ago, leaving Chloe Price behind. Disappearing from Seattle three years ago, Max has returned to Arcadia Bay but seems different from what Chloe remembers... Ongoing. Using the LiS world and characters to tell a different story from the game. Violence, fluff, and explicitness.
1. Chapter 1

**We're Not Alone**

 **2008**

"What do you mean, you're leaving?" Chloe Price asked her best friend, "Max, y-you can't leave now, you can't!"

Chloe looked at the face of Max Caulfield, her vision distorted from the tears forming. First, Chloe loses her father, and now her best friend was moving to Seattle. _This isn't fair, this isn't fucking fair!_ Chloe thought as she gripped the smaller girl by the shoulders, the smaller of the two unable to meet the other's eyes.

"C-Chloe, it's not like I want to. My dad got a job up there and we h-have to-" Max started before Chloe wrapped her in a tight hug.

Chloe felt as both of them began to cry, the pain of a separation that was soon to take place coming prematurely. Chloe gripped the back of Max's shirt into her fists, desperate to keep her friend from leaving, feeling that if she just held onto Max that she wouldn't leave Arcadia Bay, wouldn't leave her. Footsteps began to echo from the staircase, and Chloe looked up from their position in the middle of the living room as the Caulfields and her mother made their way towards them. Realization hit Chloe square in the chest, in her heart, as she separated herself from Max.

"You're...you're leaving _now_?" Chloe asked, her tone devoid of any emotion.

"I...I didn't have the heart to tell you, Chlo," Max stammered, "Your dad dying, I-I didn't want to add-"

"You should have told me!" Chloe yelled, her voice becoming a mixture of grief and rage, "We're best friends, Max! I love you! Why didn't you tell me?!"

Chloe watched as the Caulfields came up to Max, their daughter sobbing uncontrollably as she looked at Chloe with a heartbroken expression. Chloe felt her tears return but forced herself not to cry, to just let the tears flow. Joyce moved to comfort her daughter, who was clearly in pain, but Chloe brushed her mother's arm away and ran all the way to the staircase. Making it halfway up the stairs, Chloe paused for a moment.

"You should have told me," she said in a hushed tone before dragging herself into her room and slammed the door behind her.

 **2010**

"Rachel, my Mom might fucking spit-take when she sees this," Chloe told her friend as the other girl snipped at Chloe's hair with a pair of scissors. Using a large piece of a full-length mirror they found, the two were spending a care-free night in their hideout at the junkyard outside Arcadia Bay.

"Chlo, relax. I'm not shaving your head. You're just...trying a new you," Rachel said, trying not to laugh at the nervous expression on Chloe's face, "You make it sound like I'm surgically giving you a third eye or something."

"Yeah, well, you don't live with a fucking nazi," Chloe retorted as she tried to hide her anxiety.

"So, your stepdad is a nazi? Last week, he was a...what did you call him?" Rachel asked as she continued to cut away at Chloe's increasingly shortened hair.

"A step-douche."

"Well, that sounds more creative than calling a person a Nazi. Also, there's the whole calling _anyone_ a Nazi."

"Ugh, fine. I'll lay off David on that. Dude's hella paranoid, though. I told Joyce it was only a matter of time before there were cameras in our house, but she just brushed it off as me not getting along with him," Chloe said, rolling her eyes at Rachel's amused expression.

"I'll never get over you calling your mom by her name. She's your mom, Chloe."

"Whatever."

Chloe brought her hands out from under the old tarp Rachel had wrapped on her to keep the hair from getting into Chloe's clothes too much, and fumbled with the remote control to a battered stereo. Turning up the music to what others would consider a deafening tone, The Clash boomed out "London Calling" as Chloe closed her eyes in contentment.

"I can't wait until we get the hell out of this fucking town," Chloe said, grinning at the thought of the two of them traveling the world. _Los Angeles, New York, Paris. We'll go everywhere, Rachel, with your modeling and me as your bodyguard,_ Chloe thought before an image of her discussing similar plans with another girl flashed across her mind. Chloe winced internally as Max Caulfield's face came into view, smiling as they played pretend in Chloe's room, as they drew their movie posters and talked about what they would do together when they left Arcadia Bay. _Shit_ , Chloe thought, _Fucking Max. I haven't thought of her in, well, a while._ Chloe's mind drifted into the blaring music as an escape from memories she wished would stay buried.

Neither girls spoke until Rachel finished with Chloe's hair. Getting out of the beat-up lawn chair, Chloe ruffled her shortened hair while she looked at herself in the mirror. Her tattoo was coming along, though she knew she could only hide it for so long. _Mom will flip her shit,_ Chloe thought as moved to the doorway with an unlit cigarette in-between her fingers. Telling Rachel she was going to get some air, Chloe walked though the junkyard for a few minutes or so before her phone rang. Eyes rolled, Chloe answered the call she saw was from her mother.

"What, Mom? I told you I was going to be out with Rachel," Chloe said with obvious irritation.

"Chloe, sweetie, it's about Max," Joyce said with a sad tone.

"Uh, what about her? Haven't fucking heard from her in years, Mom, you know that," Chloe replied, sounding confused, "What's up?"

"...She's gone missing, Chloe."

Chloe stopped in mid-stride, her cigarette falling from her mouth as she braced herself against a rusted truck. Not speaking for a moment, Chloe heard Joyce calling out for her over the phone but felt a weight hit her stomach hard. _Max is missing? What the fuck?_

"What...what do you mean, missing? She's probably just hanging with her Seattle art-holes. The Caulfields were always fucking worriers, Joyce," Chloe said as she tried to feel optimistic.

"Chloe. She's been missing for a week. The Caulfields called to ask if we'd heard anything from her. She hasn't contacted you at all?" Joyce asked.

"If she had, my answer would be pretty fucking different," Chloe spat, the worry now mixed with irritation. _I don't need this shit. She fucking left. Fuck her, fuck Max Caulfield_ , Chloe thought, but the image of Max dead in a ditch sent a chill up her spine. _Fucking goddamnit._ "They really don't know where she is?"

Chloe watched Rachel walk towards her from their hideout and Chloe gestured that she was almost done with her call. Listening to her mother go on for a few more minutes, Chloe told her that she'd be home later to talk and hung up. _Fuck my life_ , Chloe thought as she pocketed her phone and looked over at Rachel.

"Eh, some old drama. No big," Chloe said as she tried to sound like everything was normal. Rachel looked at her with concern for a moment, then shrugged when she came to the conclusion that Chloe wouldn't talk about it.

The two girls tried to get back into the natural groove they felt when they hung out at the junkyard, getting drunk and exploring the piles of discarded junk that littered the area, but the mood had changed after the call from Chloe's mother. Feeling strung-out, Chloe offered to give Rachel a ride home in her truck but Rachel just smiled at her and said that the bus stop was only a few minutes walk. Chloe watched as Rachel faded into the tree line of the woods down the short dirt road leading to the junkyard and took a seat on the junkyard's latest acquisition, an old blue boat. Using a wooden plank, Chloe crossed the space from the hill next to the boat to her new vessel and took a swig from her recently opened beer. Looking up at the sky, thoughts of her and Max playing pirates came to her mind. Chloe couldn't help but grin a little as she thought of how she had finally gotten an actual boat and her first mate was nowhere to be found. A pang of sadness touched her heart as a multitude of images of Max in terrible situations sprung from her imagination.

Opening and closing her eyes in rapid succession, Chloe fought the depressing images away and stood up. Taking one last drink from the beer, she tossed the bottle into the small cabin of the boat and crossed the plank back to the hill. Chloe was heading for her truck when she thought she spotted a figure standing among the trees next to where she had parked.

"Uh, hello? Anybody there? Rachel, I'll kick your ass if you don't fucking answer," Chloe said as she squinted to try and get a better look. The shadow slowly emerged from the trees into the figure of a small teenage girl. Chloe looked at the girl, dumstruck.

"Max?" Chloe asked, the only word that was able to make it out of Chloe's shocked mind.

The short girl smiled at her faintly in reply. Dressed in a plain black hoodie and blue jeans, Max's shoulder-length hair fluttered with the slight breeze. _Holy shit,_ Chloe thought, _She's really here!_ Chloe thought the moonlight made Max look incredibly pale, but shook her head as she brought herself out from the distraction of examining the childhood friend that stood before her.

"What the fuck, Max? I just got off the phone with Joyce, and she told me you've been missing for a week! You're supposed to be in Seattle! What the hell are you doing here?" Chloe asked, having decided to focus on the present issue and now Max's abandonment of her.

"I...I wanted to see you, Che," Max said with hesitation. Chloe watched as Max fidgeted with her hands, "I'm okay, Chloe. I just...I needed to see you."

"You needed to see me _now_? After two _fucking_ years, you need to see me now?" Chloe said in response to Max's words, "Dude, you left. You left me, and you never-"

"I know, Chloe, I know. I came to apologize. I-I know you'll probably never forgive me-"

"Damn right."

"-but I needed to say that I'm really sorry face-to-face," Max said, and Chloe watched with a small amount of satisfaction as tears rolled down Max's cheeks. The satisfaction faded away, however, as the heartbreak of two years ago began to resurface.

Chloe looked down to her shoes as she tried to come up with something to say. Pulling out a cigarette, Chloe lit it and took a long drag before she looked back up. She jumped a little when she saw that Max was only a foot or two away from her, staring at her.

"Jesus, Max! Just fucking kill me next time," Chloe said, then squinted at the other girl. Max's face was obscured in shadow, but for a moment it looked to Chloe like Max's eyes were glowing. Having come to the conclusion that is probably just drunk, Chloe took another puff from her cigarette and stared back at Max.

"Uh, are you okay? You look...I don't fucking know how to describe it," Chloe said as the close proximity to Max allowed her a better look. The hoodie looked worn, and the jeans had holes in them. Max's eyes, however, drew the most attention from the taller girl. "Are you wearing contacts? You're eyes look, uh, violet."

Chloe watched as Max tilted her head down so that her eyes were not as clearly visible. Max seemed to almost float the remaining distance between herself and Chloe until they were only inches apart. Chloe felt a moment of shock as a slender hand touched the back of her neck and pulled her head down with surprising strength until she was eye level with Max. The two girls looked each other in the eye for a moment before Max tilted her head to where her mouth was next to Chloe's ear.

"I came here to say sorry, Che, and I have. I can't stay, but I want you to know that I'll never forgive myself," Max said, her voice sounding pained, "In a minute, I'll be gone. When I am, you won't remember me being here. You got drunk, and decided to take the bus back home. This entire evening will feel like a dream, and you'll feel at ease in the morning."

Max grabbed Chloe by the chin and placed a single kiss on the taller girl's cheek, looked into her eyes with a saddened expression, and walked away. A few minutes after Max disappeared, Chloe came out of what felt like a dream. Looking at the empty bottles next to the boat, Chloe realized she was probably drunk and decided to take the bus back home. Chloe tried to remember how she got where she was standing, but could only remember that Rachel had cut her hair and Joyce had called her.

"Ugh, what the fuck was in that beer?" Chloe said to herself as she walked down the road toward where the bus stop was located, "Wait, what did Mom call me about? Fuck, I really _am_ shitfaced. For a sec, I thought I saw Max. Fucking Max Caulfield." Chloe chuckled to herself as she continued down the road, oblivious to what had transpired.

 **2013**

 _Fuck this whole goddamn town!_ Chloe Price thought as she sped through Arcadia Bay. Rachel had been missing for months, and Chloe had been terrified that something had happened to her best friend. Rachel _had_ been her best friend, that is, until Chloe received an email from Rachel. Explaining that she had gotten an 'opportunity' in California that needed her to move ASAP, Rachel had taken off from Arcadia Bay without so much as a goodbye. Feeling used, Chloe took the letter and shredded it to pieces before getting in her truck and driving like a hellion down the streets of Arcadia Bay. _Fucking Rachel, fucking Dad, fucking Max! Everyone important to me leaves, so fuck everybody! I'll make my own way, and I'll piss on this goddamn town before I'm through!_

Chloe peeled through town and made a beeline for the lighthouse. Slamming the driver's side door with all the strength she had, Chloe stomped up the pathway leading to the hilltop. Chloe pulled out a joint from a pocket in the liner of her jacket and lit the doobie, taking a long puff and holding it for a minute before exhaling. While pot was normally relaxing, Chloe was still on edge. Pulling her beanie down to where her eyes were nearly covered, Chloe kicked random pebbles and clumps of mud on the way up to the area occupied by the lighthouse. _I can't believe she did this to me. Rachel bailed on me, waiting_ months _before even bothering me to let me know she was okay_. _She knew how much she meant to me, my so-called angel, and she ditched me when it was convenient to her needs. Fucking bullshit!_

Having reached the hilltop, Chloe sat on the lone bench and smoked her joint. Feeling the small waves of relaxation coming from each puff, Chloe blew smoke rings into the air to focus on something else. Anything else. When the first joint was gone, Chloe pulled out her cigarettes and smoked a couple of them, then gagged slightly when she caught a whiff of her smokey breath.

"Ugh, like a fucking ashtray," Chloe thought as she pocketed the near-empty cigarette pack. Her hand stayed in her pocket, however, as she received a phone call from Joyce. _I thought you were at work, Mom_ , Chloe thought as she answered the call.

"Chloe? Chloe, you there?" Joyce asked, her tone oddly cheerful, "Don't tell me that this is like that 'butt dial' crap I hear about..."

"I'm here, Mom," Chloe said, unable to restrain a chuckle, "It's a butt dial if I _call_ you, not answer you. What's up? I thought you were at work." Chloe stood up and stretched, watching the coastline shimmer with the last rays of the setting sun.

"Well..."

"Mom. You called me. Spit it out, Joyce." Chloe said, her tone flat.

"I...I just don't know how you'll take this."

"Take what? Seriously, what the fuck is going on? Oh, did you finally come to your senses with the gatekeeper at our house?"

"No, Chloe, this has nothing to do with David. We've been together for years now, and I really wish you'd try...," Joyce started only to pause, "That's not why I called. Someone just came into Two Whales and asked for you."

 _Oh shit, Frank_ , Chloe thought as the image of the guy who sold her pot talking to her mom made Chloe's stomach turn with anxiety. Chloe thought about how all those possible interactions could go before realizing that her mom had said something during Chloe's spacing out.

"Uh, what was that? I didn't catch what you said, Mom," Chloe said, waiting for a reply.

"I said that Max just walked into the diner and is asking to see you, Chloe."

"...Max?" Chloe thought, her mind still unclear from the idea of Frank and her mom sitting down for a talk.

"Max _Caulfield_. Are you alright, Chloe?"

Chloe felt the anxiety of Frank dissipate only to be replaced with the mixed feelings that belonged to Max Caulfield. Chloe paused as she tried to take in what her mom had just told her. _Max is here? Max is in Arcadia Bay right now?_ Chloe thought as she unconsciously began to walk down the path toward where her truck was parked. Clearing her throat as she regained her composure, Chloe put the phone back to her ear.

"Sorry, Mom. Um, you did say Max was there, right?"

"Yes, Chloe. She's sitting at a booth with a cup of coffee, looking out the window."

"Uh, how is she? I mean, how does she look?" Chloe asked, unable to hide her interest.

"Am I a sketch artist, Chloe? What do you want, a description of her appearance?" Joyce asked sarcastically.

"Yes! I mean...yes?" Chloe blurted out, then cursed at her moment of weakness.

"Well, Detective Price, she's got shoulder-length hair, a little coppery. She's pale, but freckled like you remember. She's wearing some torn-up black jeans, a pink t-shirt, and boots. You want her height, too?" Joyce said with even more sarcasm.

"Ugh, okay. Okay," Chloe said, realizing that she was being an idiot, "I'm on my way. Tell her I'm on my way." _I fucking shouldn't be, though, unless it's to tell her to fuck off._

Chloe hung up her phone before her mother could answer and walked across the small parking lot to her truck. Cussing as she saw her hand shake slightly when reaching for her keys, Chloe unlocked the driver's side door and climbed into her truck. Taking a moment to breathe, Chloe looked in the rearview mirror and let her mind drift for a moment as she tried to calm down. _Oh fuck, this is happening. This shit is actually happening_. Taking a deep breath, Chloe turned the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot as she made her way to Two Whales.

The drive to the diner from the lighthouse wasn't long, but it felt stretched to Chloe. Her mind wandered as the image of Max's face from when she left crossed her mind over and over, the tears and the heartbreak. _God, what am I actually gonna fucking say?_ _I want to yell at her, fucking rip her head off! I also want to just hold her and refuse to let go! Ugh, get your shit together!_ Chloe thought to herself as she finally made it to Two Whales. Pulling into the small parking lot, Chloe sat in her truck for a minute with the truck still idling. Finally switching the ignition off, Chloe slowly climbed out of her truck and walked up to the front of the diner. She hesitated at the door, and peered at the windows. Spotting a small shape in a booth near the opposite end of the diner she was standing outside of, Chloe huffed and walked up and opened the door inside quietly.

The first person Chloe saw as she entered the diner was her mom. Despite knowing where Max was sitting, Chloe gave Joyce a puzzled expression before the older woman tilted her head in the direction of Max's booth. Trying to compose herself, Chloe walked with an exaggerated gait to the booth and plopped herself into the seat on the opposite side of where the other girl was sitting. Chloe felt herself draw in a breath of surprise as she got a look at Max. The lighting of the diner made Max's hair shimmer a coppery tone. A pink t-shirt with small black skulls scattered across like polka dots lightly clung to her slender frame. Chloe couldn't see the jeans or boots because of the booth, obviously, but Max's face captured her attention. Blue pools of light directed their attention at her, a slight smirk on the face, as Max watched Chloe observe her for a moment.

"So, uh, hey," Chloe said abruptly, realizing she had been staring at Max maybe a second too long, "Um..."

"Hi, Chloe," Max said, her voice carrying a slightly amused tone, "Hmm, I like your hair. The blue. It's pretty cool."

"Oh, thanks," Chloe said as she unconsciously pulled off her beanie and ran a hand through her dyed hair, "So. What brings you to Arcadia Bay? The excitement of fishing season, the allure of-"

"I moved back here," Max said, and Chloe nearly choked on her breath, "I won some photography awards, all amateurish stuff, and I thought I would do some modeling and landscape work here."

"Like, as a photographer?" Chloe asked, feeling a burning sensation in her stomach, "Wow, you must be pretty good."

"Well, I'm okay. I don't think I'm as good as people tell me. Also, I came back to Arcadia Bay to see you."

Chloe's heart felt like it seized in her chest. _She came back to see me? Her work, yeah, but to see me?_ Chloe felt the burning feeling in her stomach build, but not just from rising anger and pain. Chloe felt a giddiness she hadn't experienced in years. _She's here for me._

"That is so fucking cool," Chloe said in earnest, "But why Arcadia? You got out of here, nerd. This place is a pit."

"I just said I wanted to see you, dork," Max replied with a bemused expression, "Where else was I supposed to find you?"

Chloe tried to come up with something funny to say but couldn't think of anything witty. The moment of giddiness was momentarily overtaken by the heartache she also felt at the sight of the girl sitting opposite her and found her mouth speaking words before her mind could react.

"Five years, Max. Five fucking years. You bailed on me," Chloe blurted out, only half-regretting what came out.

"I didn't ask my parents to move with the purpose of intentionally fucking you over, Chloe," Max said with a sigh, knowing that this was going to come eventually, "You think I didn't miss you?"

"But you never called, Max, you never wrote. My dad _died_ , and you took off," Chloe said, in an almost pleading tone, "Shit, you even bailed on your family. You fucking disappeared. Where were you?"

"I...I had some private shit I n-needed to work out," Max replied, and Chloe felt herself relax at the familiar tone that came with Max's words, "I'm here _now_ , Chloe, and you're part of the reason why."

The two girls paused their discussion as Joyce came over with a cup of coffee for Chloe and menus. Chloe ordered a cheeseburger, while Max ordered french fries and another coffee. Taking their menus, Joyce noticed the tensed expressions on their faces and sighed to herself as she thought of the picture of them placed on the inside of the diner's counter. _So grown up, but still so much like children_. _I wish they would just get along._

"So, you just come back and expect everything to be okay?" Chloe asked, her tone vaguely hostile.

"You cereal? Of course I-" Max started.

"Because it's _not_ okay, Max," Chloe interrupted, trying to maintain her angst, "I'm hella pissed and I think I might stay that way."

"...Liar."

Chloe stopped in mid-thought at Max's single-worded reply. Looking up from the table, Chloe saw Max staring right at her as though she were staring _into_ her. Chloe thought that her hands might start shaking and clenched them into fists as she began to get out of the booth. Feeling a hand clutch onto her jacket as she made to leave, Chloe looked down and saw Max still staring at her.

"Don't," Chloe said, trying to shake Max's hand off her to no avail, "Dude, let me the fuck _go_."

Chloe tipped over slightly from Max's sudden release of her hand, grabbing her cheeseburger from a stupefied Joyce. Muttering a quick "Thanks" as she headed out the door, Chloe broke into a run as she made for her truck. Cheeseburger held in her mouth, Chloe climbed into the truck's cab and took a bite out of the sandwich aggressively. Frustrated, Chloe threw out the remainder of the burger with an angry "Fuck!" as she started her truck. _Did I fuck up? No, she did. Fucking Max, goddamnit! I don't know whether I should be happy, angry, or anything at all. Fuck this place!_ , Chloe thought as she peeled out of the diner's parking lot.

Having driven around Arcadia Bay aimlessly for an hour, Chloe found herself parked at the entrance to the junkyard. Still frustrated, Chloe slammed the truck door shut behind her as she sulkily trudged in the direction of the hideout. _Just mine, now. Better that way. No one to fuck me over,_ Chloe thought as she walked into the small structure and collapsed into a chair. Turning on the stereo with the old remote, Chloe flipped through radio stations until she found one playing rock. Closing her eyes in relief as the music took her mind elsewhere, Chloe pulled a joint out of a jacket pocket and was about to light it when she heard someone come in.

"No fucking peace, I swear. What do you-," Chloe started, then felt her body tense up.

"You know why I'm here, girl," Frank Bowers said as he leaned against the doorway, "You're fucking late on payment and I've given you enough time as it is. Where's my money?"

"Dude, you'll get your money. I just gotta-," Chloe started before being cut off by her dealer.

"You don't do shit, Chloe. You get drunk, high, and just fuck around. You think I can't imagine you just bailing without paying me back? 'I'm good for it, Frank, I _hella_ swear.' Yeah, right. Cut the bullshit, kid, and pay up."

"I...I don't have anything right now," Chloe said, inching out of the chair, "Look man, I-I can get the cash. I just need more time."

Frank edged himself towards Chloe and Chloe bolted out a window in response. Falling on her face as she landed, Chloe scrambled to her feet and began to make a run for her truck only for Frank to come around the corner with a switchblade in one of his hands. Backpedaling, Chloe held up her hands in surrender but Frank continued to make his way towards Chloe. Backed up against a wrecked car, Chloe watched with dread as Frank brought the blade up inches from her face.

"I've been fucking patient, kid, I really have. But bolting on me? That doesn't sit well. Leaves the wrong message, like you'll take off altogether," Frank said as Chloe felt tears begin to drip down her cheeks, "Why the fuck are you crying? I'm not going to kill you, kid. Just leave you something to remember me by, something that will jog your need to fucking pay me back you little b-"

"I think you need to step back."

Chloe was shaken out of her fear by the sound of a familiar voice. Frank stopped with the knife's tip only a couple inches from Chloe's eye, and pulled the knife back as he looked around for the source of the voice. The night sky was partly cloudy so there were shadows everywhere, near impossible to see for the drug dealer.

"Who the fuck is there? This doesn't concern anybody except me," Frank started, gesturing to Chloe with the knife, "and her. Get lost."

Chloe's attention was returned to the knife as Frank began to press the tip lightly against her cheek. Wincing as she knew what was going to come next, Chloe shut her eyes tight in anticipation of the sharp cutting sensation. The pain never came, however, and Chloe felt the knife suddenly gone from her face. Opening a single eye, Chloe saw Frank standing a few paces away with a look of pain on his face.

Frank's knife hand was empty, and bent at an odd angle that wasn't normal. Chloe thought she saw a bruise starting to form and noticed that Frank was tilted slightly backwards. She watched as a small hand from behind Frank squeezed on Frank's throat and heard Frank make a pained noise through gritted teeth. Frank's knees bent as something kicked the back of them and Frank was kneeling on the ground, the figure holding him visible in the fragments of moonlight.

"Max?" Chloe asked in shock, then felt her jaw drop. Her childhood best friend wore an expression of cold rage as she looked down at Frank, her teeth bared. What caught Chloe's attention the most, however, were the glowing violet irises coming from Max's eyes. "You," Max hissed, her mouth next to one of Frank's ears as she bent down, "are not very nice. You threatened my friend." Frank replied with a grunt of pain as Max wrapped her hand around the wrist she had broken and squeezed, eliciting a cry of pain from Frank.

"Max, what are you doing?" Chloe asked, beginning to walk towards Max, "Max, he's a bad dude but you're fucking _hurting_ him." Chloe flinched when she saw the bright violet eyes move to look at her.

"...What would he have done to you, hmm? You want me to just kiss his boo-boo and ignore him nearly jabbing a knife into your face. Are you fucking cereal?" Max asked, her voice slightly husky.

"Max, please just calm down. He won't bother us, okay? Look at him, he's scared shitless," Chloe said, gesturing towards Frank. Frank, in turn, tried to pull himself out of Max's grip as his captor was momentarily distracted by Chloe.

"F-f-f-," Frank tried to speak through Max's vice-like grip on his neck, only to be silenced as she tightened her grip for a moment.

"You're a fucking _waste_ ," Max said, looking back at Frank again, "I bet you taste like shit. Disease and drugs. You're not worth my time, or hers."

Chloe felt a moment of relief as Max let go of Frank's neck, the man dropping to the ground as he gasped for breath. He lay there for a minute or two before being pulled up to his feet by Max grabbing him by the chin effortlessly. _Jesus fuck, what_ are _you, Max?_ Chloe thought as she watched Max. Chloe watched as Max moved her mouth to Frank's ear again and whisper something to the injured man. Watching his expression change from pained to horrified, Chloe saw Frank nod repeatedly before Max let him go. Watching him run off while cradling his injured wrist, Chloe cautiously walked towards the small girl standing nearby.

"...Max?" Chloe asked, sounding afraid, "What _was_ that?"

Max turned to face her and Chloe felt her knees buckle. The look of violence on Max's face was countered by the grin and flash of her teeth, the brightness of her violet eyes somewhat faded. Covering the rest of the distance between them, Max grabbed Chloe in a hug and nuzzled her face against the taller girl's neck. Chloe just stood there, letting the girl she thought she knew hold her for a moment, then pull back.

"You aren't happy to see me?" Max asked, her voice curious.

"Dude, you hella saved my life, but _holy shit,_ " Chloe said, placing a hand on Max's shoulder, "What. The. Fuck. Was. That."

"Um...," Max opened her mouth to speak only to pause in thought, "I don't know how to explain this. I want to show you, but I really don't feel like you freaking out."

"Max, you nearly killed a guy a moment ago. I'm already kinda freaked," Chloe said, trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of Max's awkward tone, "You go from bad-ass to classic Caulfield in seconds. Just...just show me, whatever it is."

Max looked down at the ground for a minute, then up at Chloe. Chloe saw the fearful look in her old friend's eyes, the hesitation. Squeezing the shoulder she was still grasping, Chloe nodded in encouragement to Max and watched the other girl's body become less tense. Max took a couple steps back from Chloe so that she was still in arm's reach.

"I need you to hit me," Max said, her tone even, "This works best if I get a little pissed."

"Uh, you serious? You want me to hit you?" Chloe asked with an incredulous tone. Seeing Max nod, Chloe shrugged and after a moment's hesitation slapped Max across the face. Wincing as she felt her hand strike, Chloe felt bad at hitting her childhood friend only to pull her hand back fast as she saw the reaction.

Max's eyes were glowing bright again and her small frame tensed as though an electric current was surging through. Teeth bared, Max inched towards Chloe, backing her up against the same wreck Frank had done. Worried, Chloe put her hands up instinctively and Max stopped. Chloe watched as Max opened her mouth, the canine's _elongating_ an inch. Clamping her mouth shut, Max bared her fangs at Chloe for a moment before they retracted. Her body shaking, the brightness in Max's eyes dimmed until the resembled the blue Chloe remembered from the diner and their childhood. Gingerly walking over to Max, Chloe put a hand on Max's cheek.

"Holy shit," Chloe said in amazement, "You're a fucking _vampire._ "

 **Author's Note - The idea for this came for me the morning after I had finished "The Power is On". I know that this AU is different because there currently isn't anything but Pricefield, and I was originally going to make this a one-shot. As I was typing it, however, I found myself adding more in my mind until I realized I had only touched upon the story I was creating. Whatever you think of it, let me know. I will probably continue this, whether it is enjoyed or reviled, as it is genuinely fun to write.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Her Eyes Hold The Apocalypse**

Feeling a hand gently touch her own, Chloe opened her eyes and found Max looking at her tenderly, lightly holding her hand as Chloe was still cupping Max's cheek. Still shaken, Chloe slowly withdrew her hand and saw a moment of disappointment flash across Max's face before being replaced with a neutral, calming expression. Taking another step back, Chloe proceeded to just look over Max, walking around the smaller girl in slow circles. Seeing that Max was not bothered by the examining looks, Chloe swept her gaze repeatedly over her old friend. _She...she looks like Max,_ Chloe thought as she gave Max another once-over, _How...how the fuck is she a_ vampire _? Vampires are real? Fuck. My best friend from years ago returns as a vampire? Double fuck. This is hella insane._

"I...I'm having a _really_ hard time wrapping my head around this, Max," Chloe said, coming to a stop as she faced Max. Max gestured to the wrecked car from earlier and took a seat on the hood. Feeling hesitant, Chloe took her time walking the short distance to the car and sat on the edge of the hood opposite Max, "You're a...oh, fuck. This is so unreal."

"This isn't how I wanted to t-tell you, Chlo," Max said, her voice sounding regretful, "I wanted to break it to you more gently, without the...the violence."

"Wait," Chloe said, having realized something, "Did you _follow_ me?"

"Y-you seemed upset," Max stammered, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, that's all. Chloe, that's _all._ " Chloe felt a small amount of reassurance when Max emphasized that she was only concerned.

Laying back on the hood, Chloe pulled out a joint and lit it. Taking in a deep drag, Chloe exhaled and looked at the pot for a moment before stubbing it out and placing it in a jacket pocket. _I've already gone through three of these today, plus half a pack of cigarettes. God, I need to fucking unwind._ Placing her hands behind her head, Chloe relaxed as she looked up at the clearing night sky. The stars twinkled as Chloe thought of a childhood that felt like years ago, of camping in her back yard with Max and going on imaginary adventures. Looking over to the Max sitting near her now, the smaller girl's knees tucked up to her chest, and tried to reconcile the kid she remembered with the older girl next to her.

"Fuck, I need to process this, Max. This is...this is a _lot_ , like epic shit-tons of hella crazy. You disappear, I don't hear from you, and now you show up a fucking vampire? Ugh, my brain is overloading," Chloe said, putting a hand to her temple as she rubbed the side of her head. Chloe kept herself from flinching as Max gingerly put a hand on her shoulder, but relaxed when she saw the warm smile play across Max's face. _She's still Max_ , Chloe thought as she gave Max a small smile in return, _Still caring. Except for leaving me in this shitty town. Ugh, fuck!_ Hopping off the car hood, Chloe took a few steps away before turning back around.

"You want my number," Max said, not asked. Chloe's mouth opened a bit, a small look of shock on her face.

"Dude, did you read my-"

"No, Chloe. I just guessed," Max said, rolling her eyes as she pulled a phone out of one of her pockets. Chloe watched Max swipe her finger across the screen, then brought out her own phone as Max showed the phone number to Chloe. Chloe typed the number down quickly and sent Max a short text acknowledging that she had the number.

"You're such a dork," Max said with a wry grin as she looked at the screen, "Really? 'Hey'? I _am_ standing right here."

"Would you prefer 'Please don't eat me'?" Chloe said with a sarcastic tone, "Or maybe 'Blah, I want to suck your-"

"Okay," Max said with a chuckle, "I get the joke. Ha ha, Chloe Price, you're so funny and original."

"Still a smartass," Chloe said as she gave Max a quick hug and began to head back to her truck, hearing Max's "That's why I'm here" in response.

Sitting in her truck, Chloe waited a few minutes before starting the vehicle. Slouching in the seat, Chloe watched the junkyard for signs of Max coming in her direction but couldn't spot the waifish girl. Chloe let the moments of an hour or so ago play across her mind like a small movie, freezing instances in her vision and playing them over again and again. _What would have happened if she hadn't shown up? Would I be a cyclops, or worse? But she_ looked _like she was going to kill Frank, for fuck's sake. And those eyes, those teeth. What have I fucking gotten myself into?_ Turning the ignition over, Chloe pulled out of the junkyard and drove straight home.

Already late in the evening, Chloe sighed in frustration as she saw David's car parked where she normally left her truck. Pulling up to the curb, Chloe contemplated finding somewhere else to sleep before shrugging and climbing out of her vehicle. Quietly closing the door behind her, Chloe started to climb the stairs when she heard a rough cough come from the kitchen area.

"Fuck," Chloe said as she walked over to the kitchen in resignation, seeing David with a cup of coffee and a stern look on his face, "Dude, I wasn't even doing anything-"

"Chloe, it is almost midnight. Where have you been?" David asked as he sipped at his coffee, "You been with your druggie friends?"

"I thought you told me I don't _have_ any friends," Chloe snapped back, waiting for the inevitable slap. When it didn't come, Chloe felt her body relax a little as David just sighed and put his cup down.

"Chloe, if I didn't care then I wouldn't ask. You run with a bad crowd, I find grass in your room, I-"

"You've _been in my room_? Paranoid much?"

"Chloe, where were you? Answer me," David said, his voice commanding. Chloe rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Joyce should've told you if you're _so_ concerned. I was out with an old friend. Max Caulfield," Chloe said with an irritated tone.

"The girl from the old photo albums."

"That's the one."

"...What's she doing here?" David asked, prying for more information.

"I dunno. Something about photography work, and she wanted to see me. We've got some shit to process and tonight was as good a night as any to fucking start," Chloe said, uncrossing her arms, "Look, man, can I just go to fucking sleep? I'm hella drained and all I want to do is crash."

Before David could answer, Chloe left the kitchen and vaulted up the stairs into her room. Closing the door behind her quietly so as to not wake up her sleeping mother, Chloe fell onto her bed and drifted off to sleep with her clothes still on. _I don't give a shit_ , she thought as she began to drift, _Jesus, Max. What the fuck happened to you?_ When Chloe did finally did fall asleep she dreamed of pirates and vampires, and a bat flying through the sky with Max's head.

Chloe woke up around 10am and rubbed at her eyes as she sat up. _Fuck, weird dream_ , Chloe said as she stretched and wrinkled her nose at the smell emanating from the clothing she had slept in. Having broken into a cold sweat while she slept, her tank-top and jeans felt like they were partially glued to her body and Chloe made a disgusted face as she kicked off her boots and peeled off her clothes. Grabbing a towel hanging off of the back of her desk chair, Chloe wrapped her wiry frame and walked into the upstairs hallway only to nearly collide with her mother.

"Ahh!" Chloe said in surprise at the sudden appearance of her mom, having not paid attention to where she was walking, "Fuck, mom! Fuck!"

"You're awfully jumpy, Chloe," Joyce said with a slight grin, amused, "How was your evening? Did Max find you?"

"W-what? How did you know?" Chloe asked in bewilderment.

"After you stomped out last night, Max asked me where you might go when you're in one of your moods-"

"One of _my_ moods?" Chloe asked, arching an eyebrow as she cut Joyce off.

"Yes, Chloe, one of _your_ moods. I told her the few places I know you like to go and she left. She paid for your burger, by the way," Joyce remarked with a reproachful look, "She's just trying to make amends, Chloe. Give her a chance, will you? You don't have many close friends here."

"Don't I fucking know it. Everybody bails," Chloe remarked with an irritated grunt at the end of her sentence.

"And Max _came back_. You didn't see the light in her eyes when I told her you still lived here, she was practically glowing."

 _Ugh,_ Chloe thought, _all the times to crack a joke and I can't say shit_. Shrugging in response to Joyce's remark, Chloe walked past her mother and into the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, Chloe dropped the towel and examined herself in the mirror. _Nope, no bite marks here_. _No sneaking into my room and having your way with_ me, _Max Caulfield. Max-cula. Countess...something or other_. Brushing her teeth, Chloe thought about the small fangs that she watched pop out of Max's mouth and shuddered as she spit out the toothpaste and hopped into the shower. Feeling the hot water splash across her skin, Chloe woke up a little more and blinked her eyes in rapid succession to remove the last of her grogginess.

Out of the shower and back in her room, Chloe dressed in a Misfits shirt and a pair of old blue jeans. Slipping on her boots and jacket, Chloe saw her phone's notification light flash on and off. Lying back into her bed, Chloe snatched the phone from the box it sat on and swiped the screen to open the message listing. Max had sent her a number of messages while Chloe had slept, the last one only a couple hours ago.

 **Max: Plz don't hate me**

 **Max: It's not like I wanted this, u kno**

 **Max: Call me when u get a chance, k?**

 **Max: Here's my address. Come by today? I'll be up.**

 __Lighting a cigarette, Chloe read off Max's address to herself and tried to place the location. Having lived in Arcadia Bay for her entire life, Chloe thought the address sounded like it was in the old industrial section of the town, one of the old buildings that had its business closed down. Sending Max a reply that she would be over after having breakfast, Chloe smirked when Max replied almost instantly with an emoji. "No emoji!" Chloe responded before pocketing her phone and heading downstairs for her traditional bowl of cereal.

Chloe drove with one hand on the wheel and another holding her phone, reading off the address as she tried to find where Max was staying. Dilapidated building after dilapidated building, Chloe wondered if Max was squatting in some abandoned shack before noticing a Vespa scooter leaning against the wall of a brick two-story building. The weathered sign on the building read "Arcadia Industrial Storage" and Chloe noticed the second story windows she could see from the front of the building were all blacked out. _She has a whole_ floor _? Do vampires get a fucking allowance with their being, well, vampires?_ Chloe thought as she pulled into a parking lot opposite across the street. Noticing a nice-looking car parked not too far from hers, Chloe wondered if Max was alone. The image of Max wearing a cape as she drank from someone's neck flashed across her mind's eye and Chloe nearly choked as she laughed to herself.

Finding an old metal staircase around the back of the building, Chloe walked up to a battered wooden door. Pushing the doorbell that was almost hanging off the brick wall, Chloe heard "Hang on, Dog!" and grinned. Almost forgetting what Max was, Chloe half-imagined the thirteen year-old Max answering the door, braces and all. Hearing the _click_ of the door unlocking, Chloe felt a slight breeze of cool air hit her in the face as Max opened the door.

"Uh, wow," Chloe said as she looked at the small girl standing in the doorway.

Dressed in an oversized t-shirt and jogging shorts that went up to her thighs, Max had tied her hair back into a ponytail that stuck out just slightly lower than the top of her head. Her skin incredibly pale, the freckles and ocean-blue eyes stood out. Her lips a dark maroon color, Max grinned as she pulled Chloe inside. Slightly befuddled, and embarrassed, Chloe blushed slightly as Max led her through a small hallway into her apartment. The entire place a single room divided by Asian blinds, Chloe looked up at the vaulted ceiling and the simple furniture and appliances. A retro-looking refrigerator and oven, a queen-size bed in the back of the room that was only partly visible, and a living room set that was simplistic but looked comfortable, Max was definitely doing better than Chloe had expected. Hearing the sound of running water from a closed door halfway down the studio apartment, Chloe looked at Max with a curious expression.

"My first client in Arcadia Bay. Well, first client who is an _actual_ person and not a website or whatever," Max explained as the bathroom door opened. A young girl stepped out, wearing a tank-top and what looked like designer jeans. Her hair in a ponytail, she walked over toward the other two girls and looked at them with an expression of surprise.

"Um, you're...Chloe, right? You probably don't remember me, you weren't at Blackwell for too long," the girl said, extending a hand, "I'm Dana."

"Oh, hey," Chloe stammered, quickly shaking the girl's hand, "Sorry. Yeah, I don't really remember too many faces from Black-Hell."

Dana grinning at the jab against Blackwell, she sat down on Max's couch and flipped through a large, leather-bound photo album.

"Max, what do you think would work for me? I mean, this is the first time I've ever had my photo taken by someone who wasn't in my class," Dana asked as she looked at the models in some of Max's photos, "And please, _please_ , be honest."

Chloe took a seat in a chair next to the couch and watched as Max sat next to Dana and flipped through the book of photos, pointing at some of the pictures while switching her attention from Dana to Chloe. Chloe didn't pay much attention to what was being said, but whatever Max said would occasionally elicit a giggle from Dana. Chloe found herself starting to become a little jealous and stood up from the chair so quickly that she pushed the seat back a few inches. Looking up with a quizzical expression, Max arched an eyebrow while Dana continued to look at the pictures obliviously.

"Got anything to drink?" Chloe asked, "Beer?"

"Yuck," Max said, sticking her tongue out, "That stuff is awful, tastes like shit. I have some soda, bottled water, and tea. I can make a pot of coffee, if you want."

Max made to stand up but Chloe shook her head and signaled that she would just go look. Walking over to the small kitchen along one of the walls, Chloe opened the battered fridge and examined its contents. _Cherry Pepsi, generic bottled water, iced tea,_ Chloe thought, _Ooh, Jack Daniels? Max drinks fucking whiskey?_ Thinking to herself that it might be too early for hard liquor, Chloe eyed a metal water bottle that looked tightly shut. Noticing a slight red smear on the visible part of the bottle's mouth, Chloe hesitated in examining the contents before selecting the soft drink as her current drink of choice.

Closing the fridge, Chloe turned around to find Max only a couple feet away. Jumping at the sudden appearance of her childhood friend, Chloe gave Max an irritated look before walking back to the living room area. Seeing that Dana was nowhere to be seen, Chloe looked over at Max as they both sat down, albeit in different seats. Taking a small sip from her Pepsi, Chloe watched as Max took a long drink from the metal bottle only to quickly tighten the lid. Leaning her head into the back of the small chair, Max looked up at the ceiling and took in a deep breath and slowly let the air escape her now blood-red lips.

"So, where'd Dana go?" Chloe asked, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.

"Oh, uh, she left. Today was a consultation. She's going to come back on Wednesday, after school lets out," Max replied as she turned her head to look at Chloe with feigned shock, "Why? Chloe Price, did you think I _ate_ her?"

"Dude, how the fuck should I know?" Chloe said in a single breath as she put her soda on the coffee table, "I have no clue how this shit works and I _still_ only half-believe whatever the fuck is going on. You're hella strong, that's obvious, and crazy fast-"

"Meh. Not that fast," Max interrupted with a wry grin.

"-and _what the fuck is in that bottle_?" Chloe finished, feeling goosebumps form on her arms in anticipation.

"This?" Max asked as she picked up the bottle, "A mix of blood from different animals. Some bear, some mountain lion, some wolf..."

Chloe felt herself relax a little at the lack of human blood in Max's drink. _A freaky goddamn cocktail, but at least_ not _a people cocktail_.

"Wow, your heart is beating pretty fast, Chloe. Did you think I was drinking someone's blood?" Max said, stifling a giggle, "I'm a picky eater."

"I'm not sure I even want to know what the fuck that means," Chloe said in exasperation.

Chloe watched as Max walked over to the fridge and opened the crisper at the bottom. Pulling out a shopping bag, Max pulled out what looked like an IV bag full of blood. Chloe's mind momentarily raced as she tried to reconcile what Max meant in showing her this. Her eyes widened as she finally understood, Max smiling in return as she walked back over to join Chloe on the couch. Chloe surprised herself in not inching away from Max, letting the other girl sit almost right next to her.

"You don't eat people. I mean, _from_ people," Chloe said, the tone making her statement sound more like a question.

"No. Well, like 99% no. When I was...turned, I was ravenous for a couple days and fed on someone. Didn't kill them, though, just a mouthful. I got sick the day after as the bloodlust faded and try to stick to animal blood instead. I have to mix it up to get a good flavor, and I use hot sauce to make it more palatable, but I only drink from the IV bags in case of an emergency. Human blood is like fucking steroids, Chloe. Makes you freakish strong, but you kinda go off-kilter," Max said, making hand motions as she explained to Chloe.

"You still talk with your hands sometimes?" Chloe asked with a smirk, "Such a fucking nerd."

"Oh?" Max said as she gave Chloe a predatory grin, "A nerd, huh? Coming from the girl who dyed her hair a shade of blue I seem to recall from a certain-"

"Okay, okay. Yeah, my hair is blue. No need to go into detail," Chloe retorted, smiling as she absently tugged her beanie down a little, "So, _Max-cula_ , show me some more of this crazy vampire shit!"

"Ugh. Please don't call me that again, _ever_ ," Max said as she rolled her eyes, "What exactly do you think I can do?"

"Uh, turn into a bat or something?"

"Pffft."

"Well, stand on the ceiling?" Chloe asked to only receive another eyeroll from Max.

"Seriously, Chloe? How about you ask me some _real_ questions. Honest-to-Dog..."

"Well," Chloe thought as she looked at the darkened windows, "How are you up? It's the middle of the day."

"I don't _actually_ need to sleep. I mean, it's preferable, but if I drink some blood every now and then while the sun is up I'm alright," Max said as she took another drink from her bottle, "There are consequences, though."

"Like what?" Chloe asked, her curiosity piqued even more.

"Well, when you're...like me, the strength comes with difficulty. If you're awake during the day you basically have to feed a few times while the sun is out to keep yourself awake. You can go out and everything, but I wear sunglasses because my eyes are really sensitive to sunlight now. Also, my body is perpetually cool."

Her curiosity getting the best of her, Chloe slowly placed her hand on Max's bare leg and rubbed her hand along it, down to Max's knee. _She's so fucking cool, almost cold. I feel like I'm touching something that just came out of the fridge, but it's a person. This is pretty fucking cool. Punny, Chloe, real punny._

"Anything else?" Max asked, gently removing Chloe's hand from her leg. Having spaced out, Chloe looked up at Max with a grin.

"Hell yeah! Do something cool!" Chloe asked, feeling what anxiousness remained begin to disappear, " _Prove_ to me that you're a vampire and not just some weirdly-strong, blood-drinking nerd. I dare you, Caulfield."

Standing up, Max stretched her arms out to her sides before taking another drink of blood from her bottle. Cracking her knuckles, Max elicited a scream of surprise from Chloe as she carried the taller girl in her arms and started jumping across the room. Chloe's eyes shone in delight as she touched the ceiling with the tips of her fingers every time they reached the height of Max's jumps and looked at Max in wonder as she landed almost like a feather on the floor every time. Adjusting Chloe in mid-air so that she was carrying the taller girl over her shoulders, Max landed one final time before sprinting around the living room in quick laps. After a couple minutes, Chloe breathing quickly in exhilaration, Max stopped at the couch and promptly dropped Chloe on her butt.

"Oof!" Chloe said as she landed, "Dude, that was so cool! Do something else!"

"Geez, Chloe, what else do you want from me?" Max asked, trying to sound like she was exhausted as she sipped at the bottle now in her hand, "I'm not a goddamn toy."

Chloe pouted and crossed her arms, pretended to be offended. Sidling up to Chloe, Max ran her cool fingers against the fabric of Chloe's shirt so fast the other girl didn't have time to respond as Max tickled her. Trying not to laugh and failing, Chloe tried to tickle Max back but found her arms were pinned to her sides by Max as the tickling continued.

"Truce! I forfeit, surrender, whatever! Just stop, ahhh!" Chloe cried out, then began to catch her breath as Max immediately stopped and sat back down next to Chloe. Pulling out a cigarette, Chloe looked over to see if her smoking was okay with Max. Seeing Max shrug, Chloe lit the cigarette and took a long drag as she felt herself come down from the enormous high she had felt when Max was screwing around with her, "Hey, can we talk? Like, seriously talk?"

"Of course, Chlo. What's on your mind?" Max asked, but the face she gave Chloe showed that she already knew what was coming.

"...Five years, Max," Chloe said, "Why...why didn't you call? You disappeared to Seattle, then disappeared _entirely_ , and you never thought to fucking call? What the hell, dude?"

"I could actually say the same thing, y'know," Max replied as her face grew serious and contemplative, "I know it wasn't fair, to either of us, but particularly you. All I can do is apologize, Che, and hope that you will _really_ let me back in."

"I really want to, Max," Chloe said, feeling her heart flutter at bit at Max's old nickname for her, "I've just been...I've really been fucked over since you left. No, since my dad died. You left so quickly after that I felt like I couldn't breathe. My mom was dealing with her own grief, and I had nobody. David came along and things got easier for her, but not me. Not for a while. Not until...until Rachel."

"Rachel?" Max asked, her tone even.

"She...she _was_ my angel. She kinda took me in, kept me together when shit was really getting bad. We had hella fun and kept each other company, like all the fucking time."

"D-did you like her...?" Max asked, Chloe noticing the hint of worry in the other girl's voice.

"I crushed on her hard, yeah, but she wasn't like that. She was my best friend, then she disappeared months ago," Chloe continued as she put the cigarette out in her now-empty Pepsi can, "Turns out, she fucking played me, Max. She just took off for Cali, never fucking told me until recently. In a letter, couldn't even bother to fucking call me."

Chloe didn't withdraw her hand when Max held it. The coolness as the fingers intertwined with Chloe's own felt refreshing to her, and she looked up at Max with watery eyes.

"Why couldn't you have stayed?" Chloe asked, a tremor in her voice, "Why didn't you come back sooner?"

"I-I wanted to. Dog, I fucking wanted to so _bad_. I just didn't...didn't trust myself, yet. Che, you start out like _this,_ " Max said, gesturing to herself with her free hand, "You're _so_ fucking hungry. Everything with a heartbeat looks like a meal. I...I did come back, a week after I had changed, but I couldn't stay. I was still starving, and I didn't want to risk hurting you."

"But you _did_ hurt me, Max. You fucking hurt me for _five goddamn years,_ " Chloe said in a pleading tone, "You didn't even answer me."

Chloe felt Max let go of her hand and gently lift her head up so that Chloe was now looking Max in the eye, both of them crying. Lightly leaning her forehead into Chloe's Max fought back a sob and Chloe watched as the watery tears began to intermingle with specks of red. _She's crying tears of blood?_ Chloe took Max, her Maxaroni, in her arms and held the crying girl as they both sobbed. Five years of pain, of heartache, swelled up in Chloe and she felt some of the hurt and anger begin to fade away only to be replaced with a yearning. Pulling Max back, Chloe moved to give Max a kiss on the cheek but was stopped as Max got up and went to the kitchen. Chloe felt crestfallen for a moment before Max returned with tissue paper, the bottle of Jack Daniels, and two shot glasses. Wiping her face off with the tissues, Max smiled weakly at Chloe and Chloe felt her heart flutter again as her stomach began to knot up.

"I didn't want to risk you getting any of my blood in your mouth," Max said as she slowly poured the shots, her hands slightly shaking, "I only cry blood when I'm at my most emotional and I didn't want to risk you swallowing any. If you're not on the brink of death, vampire blood does crazy shit to your body. That's what I've been told, anyway."

Chloe watched Max as the other girl continued to wipe at her eyes. _Jesus, I didn't even think about that. You almost died, Max. Fuck,_ Chloe thought as she absently smoothed out her jacket, _I'm talking about fucking missing you and being mad at you, and you nearly_ died _._ Chloe placed a hand on Max's knee and smiled at her, getting a shy smile from Max in return as Max threw the tissue in the small garbage can over at the kitchen. Chloe smirked at how Max had just thrown the tissue perfectly into the garbage without even looking, and that the kitchen was more than a few feet away.

"Shot?" Chloe asked as she took one of the small glasses in hand.

"Shot," Max said, nodding as she took her glass and pounded down the liquor in a single gulp. Chloe watched Max drink the whiskey in slight amazement and sipped at her own drink for a second before downing the alcohol, "Che, I-I do owe you an answer. I owe you more than an answer, obviously, but I can give you the answer you're wanting."

Chloe froze with the glass still partially lifted in the air as Max moved to sit right next to her. Feeling Max's cool leg press against her jeans, Chloe felt a thrill go through her body as Max nuzzled her face into Chloe's neck. Putting the shot glass on the table, Chloe kissed Max's forehead and leaned the both of them into the back of the couch. Feeling Max's lips lightly brush up against her neck, Chloe felt the small hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Chloe listened intensely as Max moved her lips to Chloe's ears.

"I...I love you too, Chloe," Max said, "The five years from you nearly killed me as much as becoming a vampire did. I'm here now. I'm here for you."

Chloe felt tears begin to well up again, only to have her head gently tilted in Max's direction. Feeling a small, cool hand brush the wetness from her cheeks, Chloe's eyes remained closed as soft lips connected with her own. The kiss was long, slow, and gentle. _Whoa, fucking whoa, holy shit yessss_ was the only thing Chloe could think of as she put her hands on Max's hips and lifted the small girl onto her lap. Feeling Max increase the pressure on her lips, Chloe opened her mouth slightly to slide her tongue across Max's, then abruptly stopped and closed her mouth shut. She knew she'd messed up when she felt Max pull away.

"Che? What is it?" Max asked, seeing Chloe open one eye to look up at her apologetically.

"Dude, you have blood breath," Chloe asked, her face flush from the kisses and embarrassment.

Max look at Chloe with a stupefied expression for a few seconds, then burst into a fit of laughter as she leaned in and rested her head against Chloe's. Chloe found herself trying not to laugh in kind as she felt Max's lithe form shake against her own body, but failed as a stifled giggle escaped from her lips. Chloe nearly cried out when Max slid off of Chloe's lap and walked over to where a leather jacket was hanging off of a rack near the small hallway leading to the door. Chloe watched intently as Max dug into one of the pockets and pulled out a pack of gum, placing a stick of something red into her mouth. Chewing, Max walked over to Chloe and offered the pack to Chloe.

"Cinnamon?" Max asked, a sheepish grin on her face as Chloe accepted the offered gum and began to chew on her own piece. Chloe patted on her lap and felt a sigh escape her as Max slid back into her previous sitting position, intertwining her legs against the small of her back.

"This feels like a drippy tween romance novel," Chloe said, snickering as Max spit her gum out into a leftover tissue. Handing the tissue over, Chloe spit out her piece in return and sat the tissue on the table in front of the couch, "You do realize this, right?"

"Shut the fuck up, Anne Rice, and just get back to what you were doing," Max said as she leaned in to pick up where Chloe had left off.

"I'm just saying, this is bound to suck," Chloe said, stifling a chuckle.

"Ugh, are you cereal? I'm _in your lap_ , making out with you, and you crack jokes? You call me a smartass, but there's a definite rubber-glue situation here, Chloe Price," Max said, her tone giving away slight frustration.

"Maxaroni-" Chloe started to say, but found herself making soft noises as Max pressed herself against Chloe and kissed her. Chloe shuddered in ecstasy as Max forced her mouth open and slid her tongue against Chloe's. The cinnamon made Max's mouth feel momentarily warm to Chloe and a small moan escaped from Chloe as she grabbed Max's shirt with her clenched fists and pulled the other girl in so close that Chloe thought she was going to lose her breath. _I'm so fucked,_ Chloe thought as the warm swirl of Max's tongue caressed her own, _But this is the best way to be fucked, I guess._

 **Author's Note - Just so you know, I'm not done yet. This could end up longer than "Rebel Girl" or "The Power is On". Maybe I'll make it a serial...hmm...**

 **I just feel like I'm only getting started. Hope you like it!**

 **PS - The chapter titles are song titles, if you're curious.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Crimson and Clover**

Chloe watched Max sleep as she ate. The carryout from Two Whales smelled delicious to her as she practically inhaled the french fries, her cheeseburger already gone. Dunking a few fries into a small pool of ketchup on the plate she had borrowed from the kitchen, Chloe watched the still form of Max Caulfield as she lay there, covers wrapped around her like a cocoon. After having kissed and held each other for what seemed like hours, Max had surrendered to her growing sleepiness. Chloe grinned at thinking how Max had playfully pulled Chloe into bed with her, only to pout at Chloe as she had climbed back out of the bed.

"Dude, I'm not tired," Chloe had said to the increasingly groggy Max, "Besides, I can't promise shuteye if I climb in there with you."

"Hmm," was all Max had said in return, eyelids drooping as her head started to nod. _She's so cute_ , Chloe had thought, _She's trying to stay awake. Maybe, if I grabbed her bottle from the coffee table..._ Mentally smacking herself upside the head, Chloe had opted to sit alongside the bed. Max had slid herself over so that she was sleeping on the edge that Chloe was leaning against, and ran small hands through Chloe's blue hair. Chloe remembered that she had lost her beanie but couldn't remember where it had gone to.

"Max?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah?" Max asked in return, yawning.

"...This is probably hella rude, but how can you afford _this_?" Chloe inquired, gesturing to take in the entirety of the apartment. Max had sleepily turned her head so that she took in the whole apartment and looked over at Chloe.

"It's Arcadia Bay, Chlo. Rent's pretty cheap. Besides, the building isn't exactly sparkling and I have money saved up. Grant money from photography projects, prize money from little indie awards here and there. I even have some cash from my parents after I stopped back in Seattle last year. I didn't want them to think I was dead," Max said, rattling things off half-asleep.

"Dude, you talked to your parents? How the fuck did that go?" Chloe asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

"I'm a runaway. How do you think it went? They already assumed I was dead, so when I showed up at their place my mom fainted and my dad just stared at me. I mean, if you take away the paleness...and the...other stuff, I'm...pretty much the...same...," Max said as she drifted off to sleep.

Chloe sat by the bed for another minute or so before moving to sit on the bed. Chloe had watched Max then, too, and how deathly still the sleeping girl was. _Wow, she doesn't need to breathe. Of course she doesn't,_ Chloe thought as she pulled the bedding around Max. Chloe had grinned when Max sheepishly smiled in her slumber and wrapped herself up. _Still Max Caulfield, blanket hog extraordinaire._

Chloe sat on the bed next to where Max was still sleeping now, eating her fries and drinking one of the waters Max had in her fridge. Chloe had peeked in the fridge again when she got back from getting food at Two Whales. Chloe had taken note that the freezer was only as cool as the fridge, filled to capacity with large jugs of dark red liquid. Chloe figured that the freezer was where Max stored her blood and had closed the door behind heras she made her way back to the bedroom area of the apartment. Chloe sopped up the last of the ketchup with the remaining soggy fry and placed the plate on a bedside table. Leaning down over the sleeping Max, Chloe softly kissed her on the forehead before pulling out her phone. Texting Max that she had taken off and would see her later, Chloe grabbed her jacket from the coat rack on her way out and made her way to the parking lot across the street.

Looking at the time displayed on the CD player of her truck, Chloe smirked as the display read 6:00PM. _Joyce might be off by now,_ Chloe thought as she started the car, _and she'll no doubt want the deets of my second meet-up with Maxaroni. She might flip her shit, when she hears what Max said to me. Then again, it'd be nice if she was just happy for me._ Chloe grinned as she remembered Max telling her that she loved her, but the grin faltered for a moment when she also remembered Max saying that she wouldn't leave again. _I've heard similar shit before. I want to believe it, I want to so bad!_

"Fuck, I'm a mess," Chloe said as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still a little puffy from all the crying, and Max had left a couple hickies. Chloe found her beanie in her jacket pocket and pulled it onto her head as she started the truck. Pulling out of the lot and onto the street, Chloe popped in a mix CD she had made and started up "New Day" from The Bouncing Souls. Chloe sang along as she drove through Arcadia Bay, turning up the truck's stereo while screaming " _Changes coming our way, ooohhhh. Just like a new day..._ "

Chloe made her way to her family's house and sighed in relief as she turned off the stereo first, then the truck. David's car was nowhere to be seen, so she wouldn't have to describe in obsessive detail the comings and goings of her day. Chuckling to herself, Chloe practically leaped out of her truck, then caught herself in embarrassment as Joyce opened the door. Joyce grinned as she saw the bashful look on her daughter's face, Chloe not meeting her mother's eyes.

"Well, you certainly seem better than I remember seeing you this morning," Joyce said as she left the door open for Chloe to head inside, "I'm assuming you and Max made up."

"...and made out," Chloe said, unable to resist. Clamping her hands on her mother's shoulders, Chloe gave her mom a hug and flashed a grin.

"Well, that's...wait, did you say 'made out'?" Joyce asked, her expression one of confusion.

"Hella yes!" Chloe said as she danced along to where her music from the truck left off, nodding her head with a beat only she could hear, "We totally fucking made out, Mom! It was amazeballs!"

Chloe looked at Joyce as her mother began to realize what Chloe was saying. Giving Chloe a hug, Joyce patted her daughter on the back.

"Well. So she told you back, finally. I'm assuming this is where all your energy is coming from?" Joyce asked as she watched Chloe continue to move around the living room to music that was only in her daughter's head.

"Uh, no Mom. The awesome power of french fries and cheeseburgers have freed my soul. Truly, you are a miracle worker on the grill," Chloe said sarcastically, rolling her eyes but unable to stop smiling.

"Right, well, since you've already eaten...and since David said he was going to get-"

"Ugh, you had to bring _him_ up? Dude, you're killing my epic high," Chloe said, abruptly stopping her groove.

"So I can be happy for you, but you can't be happy for me? Real nice, Chloe," Joyce said in frustration, "I know you two don't get along but I really wish you would try. David-"

"David is a fucking Nazi, with his orders and attitude and fucking guns. We all live together, but it doesn't mean I have to _like_ him."

Joyce shook her head in resignation and walked into the kitchen, leaving Chloe to kick at the carpet in irritation before heading up to her room. Closing her door and sticking a magazine from one of her shelves under to block the door shut, Chloe made her way over to her desk band began to search through the drawers. Tossing out random odds and ends that she had forgotten she had, Chloe emptied out nearly every drawer in the desk before finding what she had been searching for. Blowing the dust off the old photo album, Chloe sat on at the foot of her bed and began flipping through the pictures of her and Max.

The beach, Two Whales, Max's backyard, Chloe's backyard - years and years of memories began to flood Chloe's head as she looked at each picture. Snickering, Chloe looked at one photo in particular. Chloe's 13th birthday, both her face and Max's covered in ice cream cake, laughing as they held up their cake-covered hands. _I miss this, but I get a chance to have it again. Max is so different. Fuck, I know I'm hella different. What we have now is nice, but it's also new. I can't fuck this up, I won't. I won't let her fuck it up, either._ Chloe closed the book, saddened as the memory of Max leaving Chloe's house for what Chloe had come to believe was the last time she would ever see Max returned. Chloe thought about lighting a joint, but opted not to. She didn't have much left and wanted to preserve her small stash. Thinking of the confrontation with Frank at the junkyard, Chloe wondered if he was still even in Arcadia Bay. She also wondered what Max had said to him.

Pulling out her phone, Chloe made the decision to message Frank and see if he was still in town. Slowly tapping on her screen, Chloe felt like shit as she contacted the guy who had nearly gouged out her eye last night.

 **Chloe: Dude, my stash is almost gone.**

 **Frank: Fuck off. You're no longer my concern.**

 **Chloe: C'mon, I will pay u back I swear.**

 **Frank: Lose my goddamn number. Don't FUCKING contact me again.**

"Ugh, goddamnit!" Chloe said as she tossed her phone behind her onto the bed. Pulling a fresh pack of cigarettes from the box under her bed, Chloe lit up and took a drag. Blowing a couple smoke rings as she felt herself wind down, Chloe's mind drifted to her dad. Remembering herself as a little kid, Chloe thought of the two of them blowing bubbles. Chloe remembered feeling so happy, so innocent, and took another drag as her father's face played across her mind. _Shit, Dad, I wish you hadn't gone after Mom. I wish you had stayed home with me and Max, making pancakes and just being_ here _._

Chloe opened her eyes with a start as she heard a tapping sound from her window. Realizing how dark it was in her room, she assumed that she had nodded off and stretched, not paying attention to the tapping sound. Standing up, Chloe brushed off the small amount of ash that had collected in the lap of her jeans and looked up at the window as a shadow blocked out what light was present in her room. _Max?_ Chloe thought as she groggily made her way to her window and tapped back on the window, grinning playfully. Max gave her a smirk in response and just sat at the window, watching Chloe. Breathing on the glass, Chloe drew "Nerd" on the window and pointed at Max, chuckling. The chuckling turned into a giggle when she saw Max roll her eyes in reply and exhale onto the window as well. Chloe gave Max her best rendition of puppy eyes as Max finished writing "Let me in, dork" and leaned against the window.

"Booyah!" Chloe said with some energy as she suddenly opened the window the entire way, snickering as Max fell into the room and landed on the floor, "Oh, you should see your face. So fucking priceless."

Chloe held her sides in feigned laughter as Max stood up and brushed her legs off. Looking up at Chloe, Max gave her a sardonic look and pounced on Chloe, forcing the taller girl to catch her. Grinning at Chloe like she had won something, Max bumped her nose against Chloe's and kissed it, then nuzzled her face against Chloe's neck.

"Imma eat you!" Max whispered as Chloe's breath caught in her throat. Chloe nearly dropped Max, but the smaller girl caught her footing lightning quick. _She's like a fucking cat,_ Chloe thought as Max put a hand on her shoulder, "Che, I'm _kidding_. Sheesh, I wouldn't eat _you_. Nibble, maybe, but not eat."

"Dude, we've entered a whole new world of fucking anxious humor. I say 'Eat me' and you'd probably say-"

"Good, 'cause I'm hungry," Max interrupted, flashing Chloe a toothy smile.

"Ugh, more puns for you to add to your collection. I feel a facepalm coming on, I swear," Chloe said, resigning herself to the smaller girl's arms as Max held her by the waist, "I just saw you not that long ago, Max. You miss me already?" Chloe grinned as Max shyly turned her face away.

"S-shut up. You missed me too, right? Right?" Max asked, poking Chloe in the sternum at the end of her question.

"I've missed you for a while, Max. I don't think I could _ever_ get enough attention from you."

"Careful. I'm kinda immortal now, so I can technically take you up on that idea," Max said as she broke her hug and moved to the light switch.

Chloe watched as Max flipped the switch and then get frustrated as the ceiling light didn't turn on. Amused, Chloe walked over to the power strip along the wall and flipped it on, her bedroom suddenly awash in the colors of Christmas lighting. Chloe sat on the bed as Max snooped around, pausing every now and then to look at Chloe with a beaming expression as she found something from their childhood. _God, she remembers everything, every goddamn thing. Our posters, my shitty old phone, everything._ Chloe couldn't help but feel touched at how much she had been present in Max's thoughts during the time they had been apart. _She's lucky she's a vampire, otherwise_ I _might eat_ her _up._ Chloe blushed at that thought, and Max traipsed over to the bed after noticing the red color in the other girl's cheeks.

"Whatcha thinkin'?" Max asked as she sat next to Chloe and leaned up against her.

"Nothing, nerd. Never fucking mind," Chloe said, her cool tone disguising her nervousness, "So what brings you to 'Home Shit Home'?"

"Chloe, it's not that bad. You're house still looks nice, though your room is all kinds of fucked up," Max said reproachfully with a smirk.

"Hey! My style is fucking tight, Maxine Caulfield. Don't knock the Chloe Cave," Chloe said as she playfully punched Max on the arm.

"Ugh. It's _Max_ , Chlo. _Never_ Maxine," Max said as she stuck out her tongue, "You want to call me by a bunch of nicknames, I'm okay with that. But leave the '-ine' out of 'Max', okay?"

Chloe gave Max a grin in reply, _Oh, that makes some great ammunition for later,_ and bumped her shoulder against Max's.

"Dude, what are you doing here?" Chloe asked, returning to the subject.

"I just wanted to see you, that's all," Max said innocently, "Sorry if it's a bad time."

"It's hella fine. I'm just curious as to why you didn't call me or something," Chloe said as she leaned back to lay on the bed.

"Spur of the moment kinda thing," Max replied, joining Chloe on the bed, "Awake...nothing better to do..."

"Fucking tease," Chloe said as she got up quickly to grab the photo album and lie back down next to Max, "Look what I found."

Chloe watched Max's eyes open wider as she began to flip through the old photo album. Watching as Max's eyes lit up with almost every picture made a little more of the hurt Chloe still felt from the abandonment go away. _Just focus on now, Chloe. Max is here, with you, and you're...whatever this is. It's nice, so don't fuck it up!_ Watching as Max became misty-eyed from the nostalgia, Chloe closed the photo album and placed it back on the floor where it had previously been. Moving over to the stereo, Chloe turned the music on to where it was low enough that it wouldn't bother Joyce or David but loud enough for her and Max to hear.

"You like?" Chloe asked, gesturing to the stereo, "Does my musical taste have the 'Max Caulfield Nod of Approval?"

Chloe watched Max listen for a bit, swaying a little from side to side, then gave Chloe a thumbs-up.

"I'm Max Caulfield and I approve of this music. The Clash?" Max asked as she was suddenly over by the stereo, flipping through the CDs.

"Shit, I forgot that you do that," Chloe said, watching Max examine her music collection, "Can you warn me when you do that?"

"Do what?" Max asked with a puzzled expression.

"I...whatever _that_ is, the moving so fast I can barely fucking register that you moved."

"You want me to let you know when I'm going to move?" Max asked with a smirk on her face, "Chloe, I'm about to stand up."

"Yeah, okay. It sounded better in my head-"

"Chloe, I'm going to look at the booklet in this CD."

"Ha _ha_ , Max. Real-"

"Chloe, I'm going to carry you and we're going to watch the stars outside."

"Fucking Christ, Max, I get that...wait, what was that last one?" Chloe asked as she tried to remember what Max had just said. She didn't get the chance to think long.

Chloe covered her mouth to muffle the surprised noise she made when Max suddenly carried her bridal-style and slid out the open window. In a single jump from just outside Chloe's window, Max leapt up and landed gracefully on the highest point of the Price house's roof. Setting Chloe down, Max pulled out her phone and a set of earbuds. Selecting a song, she placed one of the earbuds in her ear and offered the other to Chloe. Chloe laid down next to the reclined girl on the roof and took the offered earbud. An acoustic guitar rhythm began was playing, the singer's tone soft, which made Chloe feel relaxed.

"What is this?" Chloe asked as she propped herself up with her elbows, thankful she was wearing her jacket on the rough-tiled roof.

"It's 'Crosses', by Jose Gonzales. Nice, right?" Max asked, oblivious to any pain from the roof tiles.

"Uh, not really my scene. But yeah, it's nice."

Chloe laid back again and pulled her beanie down so that the back of her head had some cushioning. Closing her eyes, Chloe let the soft melody clear her mind as her fingers intertwined with Max's.

"How long will you stay?" Chloe asked softly, the question unintentionally sounding like it had a double meaning.

"I'll stay till you fall asleep, and I'll see you tomorrow after that," Max whispered, kissing Chloe lightly on the cheek.

Chloe snuggled up to Max and laid her head against the shoulder of the other girl, sliding herself down a bit so that her height didn't put her at such a disadvantage. She smiled in contentment as she felt Max lay on her side and use her free hand to remove the beanie and run her cool fingers through Chloe's blue hair. Chloe didn't want this to end, the moment felt so perfect to her. Time seemed to stop for Chloe as the song repeated over and over. _No Arcadia Bay bullshit. Just me and her, lying together under the stars. You get pretty fucking mushy sometimes, Chloe Price. It's Max, though, so it's okay._

Chloe felt herself drifting off to sleep and closed her eyes. Opening them back up after what felt like only a moment, Chloe found that she was lying in her bed. Looking up, Chloe watched Max tuck her in.

"You were asleep," Max said softly without looking to see if Chloe was awake.

"Mmm, no I wazzn'," Chloe said, half asleep.

"Shhhh, Che. Just close your eyes, and relax," Max said as she smoothed blue hair out from Chloe's face. Chloe grinned sleepily as she nuzzled her face against Max's hand.

"I...I don't...don't...," Chloe tried to say, but fell asleep with the last thing she saw being Max kneeling next to the open window.

"...shit!" Chloe said, sitting up with force as she woke up. Looking out the closed window, Chloe winced as the sunlight hit her right in the face, "Ugh, fuck you, Sun! Fuck you and your fucking fuck..."

Chloe pulled a blanket over her head for a minute before sitting back up again and reaching for her phone. Not feeling the familiar shape of it, Chloe looked at the bedside table to find it wasn't there. _Stupid phone_ , Chloe thought as she reluctantly got out of bed. Stumbling around her room, Chloe searched through her jacket pockets but still came up empty. _Stupid jacket, why don't you have my goddamn phone?_ Walking over to where her jeans were on the floor, Chloe found her phone shoved in one of the pockets. Clasping the phone to her chest in an expression of mock joy, Chloe stopped for a moment and looked at her pants. _Wait, I don't remember getting undressed. Did Max undress me? Holy shit!_ Chloe felt her face redden as she looked down and saw the black boxers she had been wearing yesterday were still on. _Oh fuck, she undressed me._ Chloe rolled her eyes as she fell onto her bed face first.

"Chloe? You up?" Joyce asked from the other side of the door to Chloe's room, "I thought I heard something? You awake?"

"Ugh, yes, Mom. Despite the unholy hour for yours truly, I am fucking awake. What?" Chloe said, resting her arm over her eyes as Joyce walked in.

"I'm making breakfast, if you want some."

"...Is _he_ down there?" Chloe asked, peeking from under her arm to look at Joyce.

"Yes, _he_ is down there. If you don't want to sit with us, you can bring your plate up here. Just be sure to take it downstairs to the kitchen this time, okay?" Joyce asked, sounding a little annoyed.

Grumbling, Chloe followed Joyce down the stairs with her eyes squinting from the morning light and made her way into the kitchen. Seeing the griddle, Chloe silently cursed her growling stomach, which provoked a grin from her mother. Forking one, two, three pancakes onto a plate, Chloe walked over to the dinner table and grabbed the syrup.

"Good morning to you too, Chloe," David said in frustration as Chloe's arm passed across David's face to reach the syrup, "You could have just _asked_ for the syrup."

David rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as Chloe just grumbled in response. Setting the syrup down with a _thud_ , Chloe dragged her feet back to the staircase and trudged up to her room. Closing the door behind her, Chloe sat at her desk and began to wolf down the breakfast her mother had made. _Feel like a fucking zombie_ , Chloe thought as her mind began to clear from the sleep-addled fog, _Mom hasn't made pancakes in a while. Huh._ Stabbing piece after piece of pancake, Chloe chewed absentmindedly until the plate was empty save for a sticky imprint of syrup. Leaving the plate on the desk, Chloe crashed back down onto the bed and grabbed her phone off the bedside table. Whimpering slightly at the lack of new messages from Max, Chloe figured that she was probably asleep this time.

"Fuck. What should I do now?" Chloe asked herself aloud, rubbing her eyes as she finally woke up the rest of the way. It was Sunday, so half the businesses in town were closed. It was 9 in the morning, and she was rarely up this early. _S'what I get for letting some cute, nerdy vampire in my room_ , Chloe thought. Her eyes widened and she slapped her hand against her neck only to sigh in relief at the lack of bite marks. _She said she wouldn't eat me_. _She did say nibble, though. What the fuck is a nibble of a person? Am I going to wake up one morning to find a toe or finger gone? If so, I'd prefer a goddamn toe._ Chloe snorted at her accidental rhyme. Sighing, Chloe opened her phone and sent Max a text.

 **Chloe: Hippie**

 **Max:...  
Chloe: Bloody fucking hippie nerd suckface**

 **Max: I was sleeping :P**

 **Chloe: NO EMOJI**

 **Max: I will bite u, I fucking swear...**

 **Chloe: *whimpers***

 **Max: Bad Chlo, bad!**

 **Chloe: *puppy eyes***

 **Max: lol, what u want**

 **Chloe: u**

 **Max: I'm sleepin go away**

 **Chloe: wake up**

 **Max: don't make me cranky**

 **Max: u wouldn't like me when I'm cranky**

 **Max: I will text u when I'm more awake, so shhhh**

 **Chloe: Come onnnn**

 **Max: Shhhh I'm shutting my phone off shhhh**

Chloe sent Max another text, but after a moment realized that she actually _had_ shut off her phone. _Goddamnit_ , Chloe thought as she tossed her phone toward her jeans on the floor. Taking a deep breath, Chloe sprung out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth. _I need to wash the dead girl off of me_.

Chloe spent a while in the shower, long enough that when David went to take one after Chloe had gone to her room she heard David swear as he stepped into a spray of icy water. Snickering, Chloe had dressed in her white skull tank-top and a pair of military surplus cargo pants with her boots and slipped out the window, snatching her beanie off the desk right before David barged into her room. Chuckling as she climbed into her truck, Chloe started the ignition and burst into side-splitting laughter at the sight of a half-naked David sticking out of Chloe's window.

"Goddamnit, Chloe! I have to be at work in an hour!" David shouted from the window.

Rather than respond, Chloe started up her truck and revved the old engine up a bit. Pulling out of the drive, Chloe's throat started to feel sore as she continued laughing at the expression she had seen on David's face when he realized he was hanging out of a window half-naked. _That was fucking priceless, emotional scars well worth the look on stepdouche's face. Fucking priceless._

Chloe headed to the old lighthouse that overlooked the coastline that Arcadia Bay was nestled against. Making her way up the trail after parking her truck, Chloe felt an unusual sensation welling up from inside her, a sense of peace. The sky was clear with a cool breeze coming off the ocean, and Chloe closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath. _I actually feel good, for a change. Heh, fucking Max Caulfield,_ Chloe thought as an image of Max's smiling face came to mind. There was still some pain, and some fear, but Chloe mostly felt content when she thought of Max. _What a difference a day makes, cliche and all. She swoops in, hella saves my life, and we fucking bond. If only her suckface weren't fast a-fucking-sleep._

Checking her phone for new messages, Chloe pocketed it back up after taking a quick glance at the blank screen. Lighting up a cigarette, Chloe made her way towards the hilltop when she heard voices coming from the direction of the lighthouse.

"-hear that Mr. Jefferson is bringing in some 'guest photographer' tomorrow to talk to us about the Everyday Heroes project. Some fucking cliche bitch, no doubt," a girl's voice said.

"No doubt, Victoria," another girl said, "Hey, don't hog it! We've only got a fifth of that vodka!"

 _Vodka? Shit, I get drunk all the time but_ I _don't drink fucking hard shit before noon,_ Chloe thought as she peered behind the treeline right before reaching the clearing on the hilltop. _Well, not usually._

"I don't know what her name is, but she's probably just some fucking tool," the rich-looking blonde said, rolling her eyes, "Some amateur shit who got lucky. _I_ have real talent. Mark said so."

"I don't know, Victoria," a third girl said, brushing her bangs out of her face, "Dana went and saw her yesterday to schedule an appointment for a shoot. She told me the photographer looks pretty pro."

"Shut the fuck up, Taylor! What does Dana fucking know? She's still dealing with the mess between Zach and Juliet," Victoria said with a mischievous grin.

"I still can't believe you did that, Vic," Taylor said with a concerned tone, "That wasn't cool. Juliet really liked Zach, and Dana's just fucking naive."

"Shit was funny, so just shut it," Victoria snapped back.

The more Chloe heard the voices, the more she remembered the names and faces. _Ugh, Vortexers_ , Chloe said as she palmed her face. _I do_ not _need this_ , _not when today is starting off so well_. Sighing out of frustration, Chloe moved out of the treeline and into the open hilltop. Immediately noticing Chloe, Victoria made eye contact in an instant.

"What the fuck do you want, a fucking picture?" Victoria asked as Chloe looked at the three girls leaning against the wall of the old shed, "Wait, I know you. You're Chloe Price, aren't you? Blackwell's most successful failure." Victoria laughed and Chloe gritted her teeth.

"Nice to fuck you, too. Bitch," Chloe said back, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Why don't you and your den of shit go get wasted someplace else? It's still morning, you have fucking time."

Walking up to Chloe, Victoria laughed in the taller girl's face. Chloe wrinkled her nose at the vodka breath that emanated from Victoria's laughing mouth only to blow smoke rings from the last of her cigarette in Victoria's face. Watching the other girl cough, Chloe smirked as she flicked the cigarette butt into a nearby tree stump.

"Victoria!" one of the girls, Chloe thought her name was Courtney, started to run over to where they were standing. Gesturing for Courtney to stay back, Victoria looked up at Chloe with eyes slightly bloodshot from the smoke getting to her face.

"You're _so_ fucking tough, Price, with your tattoos and blue fucking hair, pffft. You're not so goddamn tough when you're strapped for cash and begging for a fucking hit, though. That's a fact," Victoria said as she pulled a joint out of a pocket from her blouse.

Chloe clenched her fists, remembering when she had tried to bum some pot off of Victoria when she was still attending Blackwell. She had thought it was okay, being Rachel's friend, and Victoria had given her a joint. The pot, however, turned out to be oregano and Chloe had spent a good five minutes hacking behind the gym. Her only attempt at getting weed in Blackwell ending in what Chloe called "a hella epic fail", she never tried again.

"Go fuck yourself, Victoria. Better yet, why don't you three go fuck each other," Chloe said, unable to think of anything better to say.

Victoria sneered, lighting the joint right in Chloe's face before dropping it and stomping it out under her designer shoes. Seeing Chloe look away, Victoria laughed before walking over to rejoin her friends. Chloe was about to go over to the three girls and start talking with her fists when she felt something brush against her shoulder. Looking behind her, Chloe saw a bloodshot-eyed Max looking at her wearily but with her body tensed.

"What the shit is this fuck?" Max asked groggily, Chloe noticing the shyness she usually picked up on seemed to have vanished.

"Max, what are you doing here?" Chloe asked. Dressed in a pink Jane shirt and blue jeans, Max looked like she might pass out at any moment.

"I thought I would come and surprise you. I felt bad that I just wanted to sleep, so I woke up," Max said, her tone making her sound even more tired than she yawned. Chloe bit her lower lip, embarrassed and bashful at the other girl forgoing needed sleep to come see her.

"Dude, I've got this. Go home and go to bed, Max," Chloe said, holding Max by her shoulders.

"Who the fuck is that?" Chloe heard Victoria ask with an audible snark to her voice, "That your new 'gal pal'? Whole fucking school knows you crushed hard on Rachel. Shame she didn't crush back."

"Jesus fuck, Victoria, would you shut up?" Chloe asked before noticing that Max had moved. Looking in the direction of the Vortex Club members, Chloe watched as Max seemed to stalk towards them.

"Uh, what the fuck is _her_ problem?" Courtney asked, looking at her friends nervously as the pink-clad girl slowly moved towards them, not making a sound as she moved.

"Call your attack dog off, Price!" Victoria asked as herself and the other two girls started to backpedal toward the other end of the shed from where they were standing.

"Max! Fucking stop!" Chloe yelled, flinching at the look in Max's eyes. _You wouldn't like me when I'm cranky_ , Chloe thought, _She_ did _say that. Oh shit, did she actually mean it?_ "Max, please. Let's just go home. I'll take you home, let's _go."_

Chloe watched Max pause mid-step, then turn her head to face Chloe again. Her expression softening slightly, Chloe saw Max grumble and begin to walk over to Chloe. _She's not doing her super-fast thing. Fuck, was she going to hunt them_?Taking Max by the shoulder, Chloe looked over at the bewildered Vortexers and mouthed "Fuck you" before leading Max down the path towards her truck. Chloe watched Max's bleary-eyed face continue to visibly show signs of calming down, and felt relieved when the tension in the smaller girl's body seemed to ease up.

"Max, you've gotta keep that shit in check," Chloe said as she walked Max over to the passenger side door, the other girl half-asleep.

"...Whatever," Max huffed as she climbed inside, letting Chloe close the door before coming in from the driver's side.

Starting the truck, Chloe quickly pulled out of the parking lot and drove straight to Max's place, not saying a word the entire time. Getting to the building, Chloe helped Max up the stairs and used Max's key to unlock the door. Carrying Max on her shoulders, Chloe made her way over to the bedroom area and began to undress Max. Max's eyes seemed to clear up for a second and she looked at Chloe with a smirk.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Ms. Price?" Max asked, leaning in to sniff Chloe's neck, "Oooh, you smell nice. Like rainbows and fresh grass."

"You sound like you're _so_ fucking high right now, I don't even know," Chloe said, "You fucking appeared at of nowhere. That was hella fucking crazy, Max, and you scared those little shits _and_ me."

"Hella hella hella _hella_ ," Max said with a snort, only for her eyes to momentarily regain their clarity, "No no no, Che, I would never do anything to hurt _you_. I _looooove_ you."

Chloe rolled her eyes at Max as the other girl fell onto her bed, completely out. Dragging Max into bed the rest of the way, Chloe pulled the bedding out from under Max so as to cover her. Watching Max wind the blankets around her with a sleepy grin, Chloe kissed Max on the forehead.

"Sleep, you crazy little shit," Chloe said with a small grin as she made her way out of the apartment, leaving Max's keys on the kitchen counter, "You better believe we're going to fucking talk about this when you wake up."

 **Author's Note - Thus ends Chapter 3. I actually started on this only a couple of hours after wrapping up Chapter 2, I can't help myself it's getting so fun shhhhhhh.**

 **I'm thinking of switching the perspective out to something more balanced between Chloe and Max like I did with "Rebel Girl" and "The Power is On". If not the next chapter, then in a future installment. I kind-of want to let you all into Max's head a little bit, the characters being more fleshed out in my mind than what I have put out for you to read thus far.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note - I'm putting this at the beginning to let you know that this chapter is NSFW. There is an incident of graphic violence, and a separate incident with explicit sexual content. You've been warned. Also, this chapter is told in a fashion like the others, but from Max's perspective. I'm letting you in her head some, heh.**

 **Sick Like Me**

Max woke up with a start, squinting at the pressure in her head. _What the fuck is going on?_ , Max thought as she grabbed her phone from the bedside table near her and pulled out her phone to check the time. Rolling her eyes into her head, Max let herself fall back into bed with a slight "Oof" and tried to go back to sleep. The pressure, the nagging sensation, remained as Max dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom. Looking at her toothbrush, Max lazily brushed her teeth while leaning against the wall. Spitting out the toothpaste, Max cringed a little at the dark red spittle that accompanied the white foam of the toothpaste that had been in her mouth. _Ugh, don't eat before bed, Max. Idiot._

Having splashed her face with water, Max began to wake up as she went back to the bedroom area and snatched her phone up. Using her speed, Max near-instantly moved to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Pulling out the metal water bottle from the fridge, Max sloshed the contents around before draining the remaining blood from the container. Wiping her mouth off with the back of her hand, Max licked the few drops off her hand and refilled the bottle with one of the jugs in her freezer. Replacing both containers back in the fridge, Max walked casually over to her small stereo and started to play some Sparklehorse as she flipped through her phone. _Dog, Chloe, you're like a crazy texting machine. Are you a Cylon? I mean,_ I _sleep during the day, but do you sleep at all?_ Putting the phone in the pocket of a pair of blue jeans, Max winced as the pressure in her head increased and Max found herself looking through someone else's eyes.

 _"_ What the-," Max thought as she saw the lighthouse, the edges of her vision telling her that she was still in her apartment but her line of sight saying otherwise. Max watched three girls leaning against the old shed on the hilltop and the view changed as a familiar hand came into frame with a lit cigarette. _Chloe? Wowsers, I'm looking through Chloe's eyes?_ "I better go see what this is about."

Grabbing a random pair of jeans and a shirt off the rack of clothes in her bedroom, Max took one more long gulp from her bottle before exiting her apartment. Locking the door, Max made sure everything in her pockets was secure and proceeded to sprint in the direction of the lighthouse. Careful to avoid the main streets where people were most of the time, Max stopped every couple blocks to check for pedestrians and oncoming traffic. Every stop only made Max's weariness and sleepiness increase, having not gotten enough sleep the past few days. _I'm so goddamn tired,_ Max thought as she leaned against the wall of a random building on the outskirts of Arcadia Bay, _Focus, Max. The hill is just a short distance away. You've got this._

Trying to pick up speed, Max barely felt her feet touch the ground as she made her way to the bottom of the hill. Slowing herself down to a light run as she began to hear noises from the hilltop, Max felt the thundering of a familiar heartbeat coming from nearby. _What the fuck are you doing, Chloe?_ _Who else is up here? I can hear three, no, four people. Ugh, you're all so loud._ Seeing Chloe standing in the small clearing of the hilltop, Max felt herself slow down until she was right behind Chloe. The small breeze from her rapid movement catching up with her, Max watched Chloe flinch slightly as the other girl turned her head to look at her in shock.

"Max, what are you doing here?" Max heard Chloe say, but by that point Max's thoughts were blending into her instincts and sleep deprivation.

"What the shit is this fuck?" Max heard herself say, but her attention was more focused on the three girls standing next to the shed on the other side of the small clearing. Picking up on their accelerated heartbeats and cruel expressions, Max tilted her head slightly to the side as the smell of alcohol and human sweat began to drift into her nose. Trying to fight the urge to sprint over and rip them to shreds, Max felt her legs methodically move forward. One step after another, Max felt herself begin to lose control, the idea of blood, _any_ blood, beginning to make her _so thirsty_. Max heard Chloe say something, but ignored the other girl's words. The second time Max heard Chloe, Max heard something about "home" and the pleading tone in Chloe's voice. Stopping, Max looked over at Chloe and saw the fear-stricken expression on her friend's face. Her mind beginning to clear, Max grumbled a low "Fuck, fuck, _fuck"_ and made her way over to Chloe.

Max let Chloe lead her down the trail and into Chloe's truck, the sleepiness returning as the bloodlust faded. She knew that she was in a foul mood, but it wasn't the first time someone had made the mistake of waking her up after only _just_ falling asleep. Max felt the truck stop and looked out the window as the daylight hit her eyes. Hissing slightly, Max felt Chloe shield her face as she was helped out of the truck. Half-carried up the stairs, Max felt herself suddenly on Chloe's back as the other girl made her way across the apartment to the bed. Max felt delirious as Chloe undressed her, her mind wandering off in a thousand different directions. Max could have sworn that she heard Chloe say something, but couldn't make anything out as she began to fall asleep.

 _Max felt a hand slowly pull her closer into the party, her first party in Seattle. Sure, she had been living in the city for a couple years already, but her shyness never seemed to go away. Taking a chance, Max went with some friends to an outdoor rave that was being held in a nearby parking lot. Not recognizing the face of the person pulling her along, Max is momentarily alarmed before the alcohol someone had slipped in her drink makes her woozy. The building next door is dark as she feels someone watching her within the shadows..._

Max's eyes snap open when she wakes up. Stretching, Max sits up and puts a hand on the back of her head, feeling a slight pain. Her stomach growls as she tries to remember what she dreamed about, Max leaped out of the bed and walked casually over to the fridge. _I feel so hungry. I slept, Dog, I slept nearly the entire day. Why am I so hungry?_ Max closed her eyes as she drained the full bottle, feeling a cool trickle down her lips and onto her chin. Max caught the slight dribble with a finger and licked it clean, then tossed the empty bottle in the sink. _I need to wash that more regularly, the crap at the bottom gets so old. Ew._

Max moved over to the couch and paused, noticing that the stereo was on, playing Sparklehorse's "Piano Fire" on repeat. Switching the music off with the remote, Max tried to process the events from her falling asleep to waking up. _Chloe came, we...mmm, we kissed. A lot,_ Max thought as a shy grin formed across her face, _I got sleepy and went to bed. I know she stuck around because she left a damn plate on one of my tables. Well, that and I can_ smell _the fries and burger._

"Ugh, everything's such a freaking blur," Max thought, pinching the bridge of her nose between two of her fingers, "Maybe there's something on my phone."

Max sped over to the bedside table and returned to the living room area in a few seconds, phone in hand, and chuckled at the idea of Chloe seeing just how much Max used her speed. _I'd hear, like, fifty versions of 'Hella'. Oh, Chloe. You're still a big dork._ Turning on the phone, Max watched as the notification light went off on her phone and swiped the menu open. There were two messages, one from Chloe and another from a private number. Chloe's "We need to talk" made Max frown a little, but Max became perfectly still when the private number's message came up.

 **Private: I found ur number. I will find u.**

Max held the phone for a moment with an increasingly shaky hand. Gritting her teeth, Max felt a surge of anger and crushed the phone with a single squeeze. She tried to calm herself down, looking at the shattered phone, but only grew more upset when a memory of Seattle popped into her head. Letting out a growl, Max grabbed the edge of the metal coffee table and flung the it against the brick wall, a loud _clang_ ringing through the room as photo albums and photography magazines scattered across the floor. Max paced around the apartment for a while, first slowly, then using her speed without even realizing it. _What the fuck?_ Nobody _should have my number, not unless I gave it to them. Goddamnit, goddamnit, goddamnit!_ Instinctively, Max stopped and took in a deep breath. True, she didn't need to breathe, but the memory of the calming sensation in doing so stuck with her. Feeling the tension in her body begin to ebb, Max exhaled the air only to suck it back in a few more times and repeat.

Max calmly walked over to the rack of clothes set up against one of the walls in her bedroom area and swiped through the selection. Feeling mischievous and in need of some fun, she selected a combat-styled knee-length skirt with cargo pockets along with a black blouse with the sleeves ending just over the shoulders. Grabbing a pair of boots from under the rack, Max dressed and combed her hair down. _I wonder if I should put some makeup on?_ Max thought as she began to walk toward the bathroom only to pause mid-stride, _Nah, Chloe's already seen how I really look. Besides, I'm showing too much skin. I don't need to show up looking like a living paint-by-numbers._ Shrugging and grinning to herself, Max left her apartment and locked the door behind her. Stopping at the bottom of the steps, Max looked thoughtfully at her Vespa scooter and decided to drive over to Chloe's, see if she's home.

Revving up the engine of the small vehicle, Max pulled on an old metal-capped helmetwith leather ear flaps and placed the attached goggles on her eyes with her free hand. Pushing off, Max leisurely drove through the streets of Arcadia Bay, taking in the local sights with a sense of contentment. _I never thought I'd come back here, especially after Seattle. Yeah, I missed Chloe like crazy, but I wonder what it would've been like if...if_ it _had never happened. Heh, maybe I'd come back to attend Blackwell. Pfff, yeah right._ Max felt peaceful as she continued the drive, taking the time to drive nearly all the way through every street in the direction of Chloe's house. She could be herself here, she didn't have to hide. Still, Max felt a pang of worry over how much Chloe had learned over the past day or so. She had really wanted to ease her old friend into all this new information, but the situation had demanded that Max act.

Max felt her upper lip curl in one corner as her fangs peeked out for a moment before she willingly retracted them, thinking of the drug dealer as she parked her Vespa on the sidewalk in front of Chloe's house. Unstrapping the helmet and stowing it in the storage compartment under the seat, Max walked up the small path to the front door and rang the doorbell. Max smacked her forehead as she realized that she had no clue what time it was, only that it was night. Fortunately, it wasn't late as Joyce opened the door and broke into a wide grin at the sight of such a familiar face.

"Well, Max Caulfield. Look at you, grown up and everything. Lord, Max, you're so pale! You feeling unwell?" Joyce asked as she ushered Max inside, closing the door behind the small girl," Chloe is upstairs if you're looking for her. Just follow the sound of that noise she calls music."

"I can't say hello to you first?" Max asked with a wry smile as she let Joyce hug her, returning the embrace with as much gentleness as she could. _If I really hugged her, I'd probably break some ribs. Still, it's nice to get a hug, I missed Joyce._ "The house looks so much like I remember it," Max said as she let Joyce lead her around the downstairs part of the house. Examining everything with a focused eye, Max could practically see multiples of herself and Chloe as they ran around the house in various stages of their childhoods. _The wine stain, oh my Dog. Joyce got so mad, heh. Ew, what the fuck is that, a hunting photo? Dude, I could bag something like that with one hand,_ Max thought with a low snicker, then looked up as she noticed Joyce watching her.

"Something funny, Max?" Joyce asked, curious.

"Oh, just thinking about all the things Chloe and I did here," Max said with a shrug, deciding to keep her thoughts to herself, "You said she's upstairs?"

Max smiled at Joyce one more time before turning around in the direction of the staircase. Hoping that she hadn't given herself away, Max looked around the railing to make sure nobody saw her and took all the stairs in a single jump, then pressed her ear to Chloe's door. _Ooh, she's singing!_ Max thought as she smiled, _I want to make her jump but I also want to hear her go on._

"Mom! Mom, who was at the door?" Max heard Chloe yell from inside her room. Not giving Chloe the chance to hear a reply, Max swung the door open and placed her hands on her hips in a superhero pose.

"I was! SuperMax!" Max said as she partly stifled a giggle when she saw Chloe jump from the sudden movement at her door. Max ducked as Chloe chucked a pillow from her bed in the direction of Max's face and laughed as Chloe brushed cigarette ash off of her tank-top, "Oh, you should see your face!"

"You fucking brat! Ugh, I wish you would stop that!" Chloe said, trying to sound offended. Max closed the door and sauntered up to Chloe, sitting on the girl's lap. Max felt the bed creak slightly and grinned as Chloe's cheeks flushed momentarily only to feel dismay as Chloe wriggled Max off of her.

"Hey. Hey, what's wrong?" Max asked, placing a hand on Chloe's shoulder as the other girl turned to face away from Max. Max flinched as she saw the look on Chloe's face.

"Are you fucking serious? Do you not remember what you did at the lighthouse?" Chloe asked in an incredulous tone, "Dude, you nearly ate half the Vortex Club. I hate those snotty little shits, but I don't need to see you gorging yourself on 'Creme d'Bitch'."

"What?" Max asked, now standing in front of the bed as Chloe turned back around to face Max, "I-I...don't remember doing that."

"Yeah, well you did. You looked like, well, like you were the walking dead. You fucking _stalked them_ , Max, like you were a damn tiger or something," Chloe said, sighing as the irritation began to fade.

"I'm sorry, Chlo. Seriously, I don't remember doing that. I must've been sleep-walking or something. I've barely gotten any sleep for the past few days, so if I wake up after falling asleep I'm liable to be _really_ out of it," Max said apologetically, kneeling in front of the seated Chloe. Max took the other girls hands and held them with her own as she looked up at Chloe with a worried expression.

"Just...how much control do you _really_ have over all of this, Max?" Chloe asked, her tone worrisome, "Is it always like this?"

"'Like this'?" Max asked, become a little frustrated, "Oh, you mean like a _vampire_. I didn't ask for this, Chloe. I'm doing the best I can. I promised you, remember?"

"Dammit, I know you did. Max, I know. It's just so hella nerve-wracking. I'm on edge half the time we're together, unable to tell if your jokes are jokes when you say shit like you're gonna eat me. I check myself for bite marks every-"

" _I told you I wouldn't eat you, Chloe,"_ Max said with an edge to her voice that startled Chloe. Biting her lip, Max calmed herself down and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them, "I _promised_ you. Please, can't you just trust me?"

"I don't know if I can really trust anybody, Max. I've been through so much," Chloe said, slipping her hands out of Max's.

"Don't do this to me, Chloe Price. I came back to Arcadia Bay for _you_ ," Max said, surprised at herself for giving something like that away. Max had an equally hard time letting people in over the past few years.

"...I thought you came here for work," Chloe said, eyeing Max with a suspicious look.

"Work means funds, which means a place to stay. But in the end, it's just a job. You're why I came back," Max said, placing a hand on Chloe's cheek, wiping away the wetness from under Chloe's eyes.

"Then why didn't you just say that, Max?" Chloe asked, holding the hand caressing her cheek.

"What, and risk my feelings when I worried you might not like me anymore?"

"Max, I...I did hate you, for a while," Chloe said, clutching onto the hand as Max's face grew sad, "But I also never stopped loving you. You _left_ , but you were always here. Every day was a reminder that I tried to push away. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it was like being in a mausoleum of a girl I no longer am. But you were _always_ here." Chloe placed the cool hand on her chest, and Max felt a rush as she sensed Chloe's heartbeat echo through her body.

Max lunged at Chloe and straddled the her as they fell onto the bed. Feeling Chloe's heart pounding underneath her, Max leaned in to kiss her when she froze. Chloe opened her eyes, mouth still waiting for the connection, and grimaced.

"What?" Chloe asked as Max looked back at the bedroom door. Chloe felt Max pull her up from the bed and let the smaller girl pull her out into the hall.

"My place. Now," Max said, panting. Chloe's eyebrows arched in surprise at the look of lust on Max's face.

Max could barely restrain herself. She had never felt this way before, like a furnace was suddenly crackling in every corner of her cold body. It was like flames running through her system, her human life sparked back into existence in short pulses that matched the sound of Chloe's heart. Pulling her friend down the stairs, Max told Joyce that she was taking Chloe out and the two left before Joyce could even reply.

Max motioned to her scooter when she saw Chloe slowly walking towards her truck. Giving Max a quizzical look, Chloe shrugged and joined her friend on the seat.

"Hold on to me," Max said as she revved up the Vespa's engine.

"...Forever," Chloe whispered, forgetting that Max could still hear it clearly as if she'd said the word aloud.

Max grinned as the Vespa took off. Not bothering to stop at the lights or the signs, Max drove straight through Arcadia Bay as she took the quickest route to her apartment with Chloe sitting behind. Max chuckled as she felt Chloe's hands tighten around her with every intersection they crossed without checking, and was just thankful no cars were nearby. _Don't need a collision right now, thank you very much,_ Max thought as she turned onto the street her apartment was on, _Need something_ else _right now_. Pulling up next to her building, Max dropped the Vespa's kickstand and switched off the engine. Looking over her shoulder to see Chloe's face inches from her, the sensation of heat returned to her tenfold and she scooped up Chloe in her arms and jumped the whole flight of steps to the door of her apartment.

"Wow. You're impatient," Chloe said with a grin as Max let her down while moving to unlock the door.

"I blame you," Max said, fumbling with the keys and sticking out her tongue at Chloe, "I'm going to fucking _eat_ you, Chloe Price."

"Ooh-la-la," Chloe said as she leaned down to whisper in Max's ear, "I might just let you, but not in the way you're thinking."

Max nearly twisted the doorknob off in response. If she had needed air to breathe, Max figured she would have gulped. Opening the door as quickly as safety would allow, Max gently pulled Chloe inside and closed the door behind them. Letting Chloe take off her boots, Max methodically unlaced her own footwear and kicked them off. Chloe gave Max a startled look as the boots flew all the way down the hall, smacking against the brick wall opposite them.

"Feeling frisky, eh?" Chloe said as she pulled her beanie off and dropped it next to her boots, sidling up to Max and bending down to kiss her.

"I _want_ , Che," Max said as grabbed a handful of Chloe's hair and pulled her down the rest of the way, pressing her lips against Chloe's hard. Chloe let out a slight moan as Max twisted the hair slightly and forced her tongue into Chloe's mouth. The two girls swirled their tongues against together as their mouths broke apart only to reconnect. Max pulled her tongue back and watched as Chloe bit her lower lip in pleasure, eyes still closed, both girls panting as the heat roiled over them. Max pulled Chloe by the waist of her pants over to the living room, Chloe's eyes looking deeply into Max's. The taller girl arched an eyebrow in question as Max let her go and moved over to the stereo. Flipping through a CD wallet, Max pulled out a disc and slipped it into the machine. Turning up the music, Max saw Chloe's eager expression as the she watched Max begin to strip.

"What," Chloe asked, hurriedly pulling at her own clothes, "What song is this? It's kinda edgy for you, isn't it?"

"You don't know everything about me, Chloe, and it's "Lollipop" by Framing Hanley," Max said, walking over to Chloe and ripping her pants clean off.

Chloe made a slight shrieking noise, then covered her mouth as a mischievous giggle made its way out of her. Chloe's face looked incredibly flush to Max as they stood facing each other in the nude. Max had seen Chloe naked before as a kid, but this Chloe was like one of the girls she had photographed. Lean in body, with the slight sign of a six-pack, Chloe was _strong_. Max watched as she saw the very start of sweat began to appear on the taller girl's skin, inhaling the scent of lust and wetness coming from her partner's body. Backing Chloe against the kitchen counter with a predatory grin, Max cupped the other girl's chin as Chloe's eyes seemed fearful.

"I'll only do _it_ if you ask, Che," Max cooed at Chloe, her voice becoming low and husky.

"Hey, I'm not exactly foreign to this," Chloe said, her voice shaking slightly as she tried to sound aloof to the situation.

"Oh, tell me stories, 'Woman of the World'," Max said as she pressed the bare skin of her breasts against Chloe's, pulling the girl's head down into a kiss that was lasted until Chloe had to gasp for breath.

"Some of us have to breathe, Maxaroni," Chloe said with a chuckle, running over to the living room. Playfully, Chloe stood behind the seat that was close to the wall where Max did her photoshoots, blowing Max a kiss as bait.

Max walked towards the living room, sliding each piece of furniture in her path out of the way. Max felt her muscles tense as she watched Chloe look at her with an excited expression. Taking a single leap forward, Max grabbed Chloe by the waist with one arm and leaped again to the wall. Bracing Chloe against the wall, Max began to lick from Chloe's navel all the way up to her neck, stopping between Chloe's breasts to pinch the other girl's nipples. Feeling and hearing Chloe moan, Max felt her breast grabbed in kind as Chloe opened her eyes and fixated on Max's face. The two girls just stared into each others' eyes as their hands explored the new territory opened up to them. Nuzzling her face into Chloe's neck, Max began to lightly bite at Chloe, careful not to break the skin. Feeling one of Chloe's hands begin to make its way to her inner thigh, Max felt herself push up against Chloe harder and begin to move _up_ the wall. Chloe let out an excited moan as she realized that Max was lifting her into the corner of the ceiling they had been standing under.

"I.. _unhh..._ I thought you couldn't...oh, _fuck_...I thought you couldn't stand on the ceiling and shit," Chloe said, gasping between breaths as Max started kissing along her jawline and nibbling on her ear, "Fuck, Max, _fuck_."

"I didn't...mmm, I didn't say that I couldn't _climb_ , Chloe," Max replied between mouthfuls of Chloe's bare skin. Max tried to calm down but felt her eyes change as the colors in the room exploded into a kaleidoscopic spectrum not visible to the _human_ eye. Hearing Chloe whimper, Max looked up from where she left off along Chloe's collarbone and saw a slight fear crawl across Chloe's face. Max felt her fangs pop back in with with a slight _snap_ and saw Chloe's eyes look at Max in wonder.

"What?" Max asked softly, brushing Chloe's hair away with her nose, "What's wrong?"

"You...you're so fucking _cool_ ," Chloe gasped as she began to leave Max little hickies along her neck, "That didn't sound stupid, did it?"

"Mmm, no...not at...unnh," Max moaned as she felt Chloe slide a finger into her. The tightness made it painful at first, but Max felt a wave of pleasure surge through her and shuddered in the ecstasy. Instinctively taking in a deep breath, Max nuzzled Chloe's neck until the other girl lifted her head and gave Chloe a single, hard kiss, "No, Che, not up here. Hang on a second, yeah?"

Removing her feet from the walls she braced herself and Chloe against, Max landed with a gentle _thump,_ catching Chloe as the other girl fell. Carrying Chloe in her arms like a bride, Max kissed Chloe softly on the lips over and over as she walked them towards the bed. Reaching the queen-size bed, Max kissed Chloe one last time before gently tossing the other girl onto the unmade bed. Throwing the sheets off, Chloe patted the area of her stomach just below her belly button. Max jumped like she was going to cannonball and landed softly on Chloe, straddling the naked girl under her own naked body.

"How's this?" Max asked as she slid herself down to where she could feel her pussy rub slightly against Chloe's. Both girls shivered as they made contact with each other, Max's head pulled back as her eyes glowed even brighter. Max felt her fangs pop out again and covered her mouth in alarm, seeing the smirk on Chloe's face.

"Does that happen when you get horny, too?" Chloe asked as she began to grind herself against Max, "Or are you hungry?"

"I...oh, _oh God,_ I don't know. Maybe b-both?" Max gasped as Chloe slid a hand between them and slid two fingers into the wetness forming between them. Max felt her hips grind against Chloe as she continued to straddle the taller girl, Chloe's face one of pure satisfaction.

"Max Caulfield, _nnnhh_ , are you a virgin?" Chloe asked, gasping between words.

"Shut up and fuck me," Max said, bending down so that she was face-to-face with Chloe.

Max felt Chloe continue to slide her fingers in and out of Max, both girls shuddering from the pleasure, and Max responded with her own fingers. Arching her back, Max felt the slickness as she began to rub at Chloe's clit. Hearing Chloe stifle a scream, Max pinched the piece of flesh for a second before plunging two of her own fingers into the girl lying beneath her. The two went at it for what felt like hours to both of them, alternating positions, licking their lips between kisses and licks on each others' bodies.

Max felt her insides writhe as her fangs popped out a third time. Unlike the other moments where she had been able to retract, her fangs refused to acknowledge her mental command and stayed out. _Fuck, Che will freak_ , Max thought as she clamped her mouth shut only to nearly scream as Chloe's tongue made its way down to her clitoris. Having moved onto her back, Chloe was lying on top of Max with her own pussy inches from Max's face, lapping at the wet between Max's legs with slow strokes of her tongue. Max felt Chloe stop and saw the other girl lift her up so that she could look at Max, her head upside-down.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, then paused as she saw Max's worried face, "What's wrong?"

"I-I can't pull them back in. I...I think we should stop," Max said with a regretful hesitation.

Feeling Chloe's sigh against the inside of her thigh, Max watched as Chloe climbed off and laid herself next to Max. Gingerly kissing Max softly on the cheek with several small kisses, Chloe wrapped a leg around Max's waist as she laid the smaller girl's head by her neck.

"Well, that was... _fuck_ , Max. That was incredible," Chloe said with a deep exhale, then giggled, "Sorry about the premature fangulation, though."

"Oh, stop. I feel like crap enough as it is," Max said, playfully poking Chloe's bare hip with a finger, "But yeah, it was good."

"Good?"

" _Hella_ good," Max said, turning her head to kiss Chloe on the lips, "Better?"

"Better."

Max and Chloe laid there in bed for a while, Max feeling the other girl's heartbeat slowly begin to calm down. _Stupid fangs, stupid fucking fangs!_ , Max thought as she rolled her eyes. Huffing out of frustration at herself, Max pulled herself out of the now-sleeping Chloe's grip and covered the bare girl with the blankets that had been abandoned to the floor. Kissing her sleeping Che on the cheek, Max walked back to the living room and re-situated the furniture as quietly as she could, then shut off the stereo. Grabbing the small piles of clothing, Max dumped them on the couch before walking back to the bedroom and slipping on a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt with dancing chicks. Rubbing her face, Max felt her stomach growl and she walked over to the kitchen.

Max was just about to open the fridge when she _felt_ a presence outside. Hearing the doorknob rattle a couple times, Max leaped to one of the blacked-out windows and slid it open in silence, flipping out of the open space and perching on the window sill for a second before leaping up the short distance between the wall and the rooftop. Max landed on the roof in a sprinter's ready stance and looked up. A shadowy figure stood on the other side of the roof.

"I told you I would find you, Maxine," the low, masculine voice said, "How long did you think you could hide?"

"Fuck off," Max hissed, baring her teeth, "I won't go back."

"This is not your home, these...things are not your family," the person opposite her said with an even tone, "If I can find you, _they all can_. You can only run so long, Maxi-"

" _Max_. I fucking told you before, Henri, it's _Max._ _ **Never**_ Maxine," Max said with a low growl, feeling both her upper _and_ lower set of fangs pop.

"...You don't want to do this," Henri said, taking off the jacket he was wearing, his arms covered in tribal tattoos as he popped his neck, "Just come _home._ "

 _I am home_ , Max thought as she lunged across the roof. Max narrowly missed falling off the edge of the roof as Henri leaped up and over, landing halfway across the roof. Spinning in mid-air, Max balanced herself against the roof's edge on the ball of her foot and sprinted at Henri before he could turn. Catching him with her fist, Max felt a couple of Henri's ribs break from the force of her impact. Hearing a growl of anger and pain, Max met the sound with a menacing hiss of her own and pushed harder on the point of impact, feeling other bones crack beneath the pressure. Max pulled back as she began to feel her wrist buckle from the force and felt her head nearly spin as Henri turned and kicked her on the side of her head. Tumbling down the roof, Max grabbed at the corrugated metal and felt the metal scratch under her the strength of her fingers. Leaping up, half-dizzy, Max grabbed Henri's face with an open hand as he connected with a fist to her stomach. Wincing as she felt a couple of her own bones break, Max screamed in rage as she felt Henri's skull crack from the pressure of her grip.

Henri's knees buckled and blood spurted out of his mouth, splashing Max across the chest of her shirt. Pulling her hand back, Max curled it into a fist and punched the man in the face first once, then three times. Reeling, Henri rolled his one good eye up at Max and looked at the small girl now towering over him.

"They will find you. They will _fucking_ find you, you little-" Henri started. They were his last words.

Completely silent, Max grabbed his neck and ripped his head clean off with a single pull. Blood splashed Max across the face and she shoved both her hands into Henri's chest and _pulled_. Grimacing from the strain, Max felt Henri's body tear in half as she grabbed onto his heart and pulled it from the remains, gore and blood stretching into a jagged line on the metal rooftop. Watching the heart beat a single time before blackening, Max watched in silence as the remains began to look like something akin to paper mache and blew into the wind.

Numbly, Max climbed down the wall and back into her apartment, thankful that the building was sturdy enough that Chloe hadn't woken up. _She would probably never fucking see me again,_ Max thought as she quietly shut the window and locked it, _I'll have to clean the blood up._ Walking over towards the bathroom, Max peeked in the darkened apartment at Chloe lying asleep on the bed. Sighing, Max walked into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Stepping into the cast-iron tum, Max started the shower and stood there for a second as the scalding water splashed across her face. Unable to feel the water, Max's knees buckled and she sat in the tub with her legs folded against her chest, still wearing her shorts and blood-stained shirt. Tucking her head down so that her head was facing down, Max began to shake as choked sobs began to escape from her lips, her blood running from her face as she cried.

 **PS - the title of this chapter is from a single by the metal band In This Moment**


	5. Chapter 5

**Misguided Ghosts**

The kettle boiled as Max turned the handle of her coffee mill around in circles. Chloe still sleeping, Max looked down from the small counter where she was preparing coffee to look towards her bed and grimaced. _Last night. It was amazing, and horrifying. She was right under my feet as I ripped off another person's head. Wowsers, this fucking sucks_ , Max thought as she absentmindedly snapped the handle of the mill. Groaning, Max opened the mill and sighed in slight relief at all the beans being ground into a rough powder. Taking the kettle off the stove top, Max poured both the grounds and the water into a small coffee press. Letting the steaming mixture sit, Max tossed the mill into the trash and made a note on the dry erase board tacked to the wall above the counter about buying another coffee grinder. _Electric this time. My mind wanders and I break stuff. Good thing I didn't wander last night,_ Max thought as she thought back to what she labeled 'the good part' of last night, _Need to be more careful with Che. People can be so damn fragile._

Pushing the plunger down, Max poured a cup of coffee for herself and another for Chloe. Walking over to the bed, Max quietly sat down the two steaming cups and looked at her sleeping, blue-haired angel. Max's eyes lit up as an idea popped into her head; grabbing her personal camera, an old Polaroid instant shot, Max sat at the foot of the bed and took a quick shot of the sleeping Chloe. Forgetting to cover the flash, the quick burst of light stirred Chloe, and Max watched with a bemused expression as the other girl squinted with a frown on her face.

"Did you just take my picture?" Chloe moaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she stretched, "Not cool, Max."

"Oh shush," Max said as she got out of bed and wafted the coffee in front of Chloe's groggy face, "I come bearing gifts."

"Mmm," Chloe said, lifting herself up so that she could give Max a quick kiss before sitting up the rest of the way. Taking the coffee, Chloe took a sip and nearly coughed. "Wow, that's strong. What are you trying to do, Max, wake the dead?"

"Ugh. Chloe, stop," Max answered, seeing Chloe smile as she took another sip, "If I had known that being this way gave you so much ammo I would not have told you." Max poked Chloe gingerly in the side only to receive a "tsk, tsk" from the sleepy-eyed punk.

"Hey, no tickle with hot coffee in hands," Chloe said with a stern look on her face, "Unless you like me hot and wet."

Groaning, Max grabbed her coffee and walked back to the kitchen. Pouring in some cinnamon creamer, Max stirred her beverage before moving over to the living room. Max tried to look surprised as she saw Chloe already sitting on the chair. Smirking, Max sat down at the couch as she watched Chloe sip at her coffee. The two girls sat in silence for a couple minutes, the only audible sounds the sipping of beverages, and Max felt a sense of calm wash over her. She had spent an hour washing bloodstains off the roof, having washed herself up first, and had buried the trash bag full of bloody rags and mop heads deep in the woods outside Arcadia Bay before climbing into bed with Chloe. Max's attention drifted, and she didn't hear Chloe call out to her.

"Huh-what?" Max asked, sounding tired as she nearly tipped her coffee over from Chloe startling her.

"You okay, dude? You kinda spaced out," Chloe said, cringing at the strong coffee. Max watched as Chloe stood up and went over to pour some creamer in her coffee.

"Oh, sorry. Thinking about...about last night," Max said in reply. _Technically, not a lie. Just not thinking only of what we did._ Max felt her lips stretch into a small grin as she thought of Chloe in her arms, Chloe's taste on her lips. Max looked over at the corner she had pinned Chloe against and chuckled to herself when she saw her footprints where along the one painted wall. _You came pretty close, Max Caulfield. How shitty is a self-congratulatory 'Hey, you didn't eat your best friend-slash-lover-whatever'? The answer is pretty shitty_. Max looked over to Chloe and watched the other girl's face contort into a visage of anxiety as she looked down at the trash can. Walking over, Max watched Chloe back away a couple steps as Max looked into the trash can.

A single, drained IV bag sat at the bottom of the near-empty trash can. Sucked completely dry, you would not know it had been filled with blood if not for the identification strip taped on the side facing up. Silently cursing herself, Max sat her coffee down and looked at Chloe with a serious expression, the other girl looking at her with a hesitant stare.

"What the fuck, Max? I thought you said you didn't drink human blood," Chloe said, "You said it made you hella nuts and freakish."

"Chloe," Max said, sounding wounded, "I said in case of emergency. I only drank it because by the time we were done last night the hunger was so bad that the animal blood I had didn't _do anything_." Opening the freezer, Max gestured at the contents, "I drank _an entire jug_ , Chlo, and it wasn't enough. I've never done this before, had sex. When my stomach kept growling, I knew that I would have to break into my emergency stash."

"Your _stash_? Jesus, Max, you make it sound like it's a goddamn drug," Chloe said, wincing at her own remark. Max caught the double meaning and arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you wouldn't know anything about that. A stash," Max said, growing irritated, "Yes, I drank it. I drank _donated_ blood from a blood _donor_. I steal a few bags from hospitals or clinics because if something happens that needs me at my strongest _I have to_ _drink_. I'm not fucking proud of it, Chloe. It's just part of who I am."

Max watched as Chloe mulled over their words, deep in thought. Feeling the tension between them, Max poured the remains of her coffee down the sink and walked over to her bedroom area, stripping her sleepwear off as she began to look through her clothes. Max was so fixated on what was in front of her that she didn't notice Chloe come up from behind. Max audibly yelped in shock as she felt two warm arms encircle her waist, and leaned back into Chloe's shoulder.

"You're clothes are way too fucking small for me," Chloe said, shifting her weight, "This shirt feels like it might choke me."

"So take it off," Max said, still a little grumpy. Max would have blushed if she could when Chloe dangled the shirt she had been wearing in front of Max's face as a reply, "Ugh, you _tease_."

Hearing Chloe chuckle, Max felt the taller girl's abdomen expand and contract as Chloe breathed. Closing her eyes, Max hung her arms loosely at her sides as she felt Chloe's heartbeat. Max wanted to record the sound of Chloe's heart, turn it into an MP3 that she could listen to on her phone.

"Hey," Max heard Chloe say from behind her, "I...I'm sorry for freaking. We're moving hella fast, and I'm still playing catch-up. Still mad at me?"

"You mad at me?" Max asked, her voice inquisitive.

"I'll always be a little mad at you," Chloe said with a grin as she kissed Max's ear, "But I'll also always be a little hot for you, too."

"...Is that another dead girl/live girl joke?" Max asked in a deadpan voice. Hearing a snicker from behind her, Max rolled her eyes and disengaged herself from Chloe as she began to pick out clothing for her coming day, "You dork. Go get dressed."

"Why?"

"I have to leave soon," Max said as she pointed to a small clock hung over the bathroom door, "I have to be at Blackwell soon."

Max heard Chloe's heart accelerate slightly and turned around. Half-dressed, Chloe stood stock-still as she held clutched at her pants. Curious, Max walked over and took a hold of Chloe's free hand.

"Uh, you okay?" Max asked, puzzled.

"I...I just don't really like Black-Hell, Max," Chloe said, snapping at the mention of the school.

"Oh. That's too bad. I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me," Max said as she began to get dressed.

"Why?" Chloe asked, confused.

"Just thought you'd like to spend some more time with me, that's all," Max said as she pulled a pair black jeans on. Pausing while she buttoned up the red and black plaid-patterned blouse, Max wondered what made Chloe dislike Blackwell so much. Max had heard nothing but sterling remarks about the local academy, a type of prep school that hovered somewhere between high school and college. Invited to be a guest photographer, Max's credentials had impressed the professor in charge enough that she was scheduled in twice a week as a 'consultant'. _Let's hope they pay as well as they look_ , Max remembered thinking when she agreed to the freelance assignment.

"Well...," Chloe said as Max finished getting dressed, "I...I don't know..."

"Come on, Price," Max said, a teasing tone in her voice, "Don't be such a chickenshit."

"Hey, I am fucking hardcore, Suckface," Chloe said with a humph.

"Suckface?"

"...It's a work-in-progress," Chloe said as she pulled Max over to her by the waistline of the black jeans, "But you're _my_ suckface, nerd."

"You're killing me, Che," Max said pointedly rolled her eyes at Chloe, wrapping her arms around the other girl in return, "I liked you better when you just said different versions of 'Max'."

Chloe smiled and leaned her forehead against Max's as the two stood in Max's bedroom area, arms wrapped around each other with their eyes closed in the peaceful silence. Max laid her head against Chloe's chest and listened to her friend's heartbeat as she felt Chloe slightly tighten her hold on Max. Clenching her small hands into fists, Max tugged on the back of Chloe's tank-top and pushed Chloe into her a little, relishing the sounds of Chloe's breathing and heartbeat _. It's like music only I can really understand_ , Max thought as she smiled, _A melody that only I can truly hear._ A pang of remorse hit Max as Chloe's heartbeat made her think about how still her own was, with thoughts of her last night as a living human flashing across her mind.

"Whoa, Max. You're holding on there a little _too_ tight," Max heard Chloe say, sounding like her breathing was strained, "Damn, ease up."

Max quickly withdrew from Chloe's arms and stood a few steps away, feeling shy as the moment of remembrance intermingled with how desperately she had clutched at Chloe. Ignoring Chloe's curious expression, Max knelt down and collected an old camera bag from underneath the rack of clothes. Moving about the apartment, Max collected a notebook, pens, one of her portfolios, and her old Polaroid camera. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Max went back to her bedroom and pulled a still-packaged phone out. Turning the new phone on, Max flipped through the menu as Chloe watched, then handed the phone to Chloe.

"New number," Max said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Are you okay-"

"Fine. Just spacing out, that's all," Max said, interrupting Chloe, "So, are you coming with or not?"

"Uh, sure. I guess," Chloe said, hesitant, "Got nothing better to do."

Only nodding in response, Max took back the offered phone and slid it into her camera bag. Absently checking her jean pockets for her keys, Max sighed when she heard them jingle as Chloe held them up behind her. Smiling faintly at Chloe, Max stood on her tip-toes and kissed the taller girl on the forehead, then pulled Chloe through the apartment and out the door. Chloe nearly tripped over her feet from the speed at which Max was walking, and yanked her hand back to balance herself against the railing of the steps that led down to where the scooter was located.

Max felt a moment of alarm as Chloe disengaged her hand from Max's and spun around to see that Chloe nearly fell down the stairs. _Stupid!_ , Max thought, _Control yourself, Max. Control._ The events of last night, fueled more so by the small confrontation over her late-night dinner choices, only added to the anxiety she felt regarding her appearing at Blackwell.

"I'm sorry, Che. I'm just...just nervous. _Really_ nervous. _Hella_ nervous," Max said apologetically, her mouth shaped into a small pout.

"Dude, sometimes I don't think you know your own strength," Chloe said as she rotated the arm Max had been pulling on a couple times, "Thought you were going to dislocate my shoulder or something. And just relax, Maxaroni. You've got this."

Max's brow furrowed at Chloe mentioning the dislocating of her shoulder, Henri's face flashing before her eyes as she had essentially dismembered him with her bare hands. Shuddering, Max walked the rest of the way down the steps and to the scooter. Patting the part of the seat behind her, Max strapped on her helmet as she passed Chloe another one. Feeling the slight dip as Chloe took her seat behind Max, Max waited until Chloe had a hold of her before revving the Vespa's engine. Peeling out from the side of the apartment building, Max shot down the street toward Blackwell Academy with a grim look on her face. The more Max tried to not think about the sudden appearance of Henri, the colder Max felt herself become. She had wanted to come back to Arcadia Bay for Chloe, but also because she wanted to just _be_ nerdy, photo-geek Max Caulfield. Max inadvertently gassed the engine harder as her frustration spiked, shouting "Sorry!" behind her as she felt Chloe lurch in her seat for a second.

Pulling into the small space of Blackwell's visitor parking that was reserved for motorcycles and similar vehicles, Max noticed with chagrin how quickly Chloe hopped off the scooter. Catching the helmet handed to her in the chest, Max looked up at Chloe with an irritated look.

"I said I was sorry, Chlo," Max said, "M-my foot slipped, honest." _Lie._

"I don't think that I'll be riding along with you once you take me home," Chloe said, her voice a little unnerved, "I nearly became a street decoration."

"Hey. I said I was sorry," Max said, her face a mask of worry, "A-are you mad at me?"

"What? No, just a little shook up. I don't do road accidents very fucking well, Max," Chloe said with a sigh, her shoulders slumped over as she looked down at the pavement.

 _William_ , Max thought as she stowed away the helmets and re-secured the camera bag's strap over her shoulder. Unzipping her leather jacket down a few inches, Max ruffled her head as she remembered how broken Chloe had looked when the police had come. _Joyce spent a couple days in the hospital. I stayed with Chloe in her house, my parents coming by a couple times to check in. William never came back._ Placing a hand on Chloe's cheek, Max looked up at the crestfallen girl standing in front of her, Chloe's tough shell momentarily split open to reveal the wounded girl inside.

"We can talk about it after I'm done here, if you want," Max said softly, "It'll only be an hour, hour and a half."

"Yeah, sure," Chloe said sullenly.

Taking Chloe's hand, Max walked them up the steps and onto the main courtyard of Blackwell Academy. The students gathered in small groups, others alone with their thoughts, Max thought that the school _seemed_ nice. _I could've gone here_ , Max thought, _Well, maybe._ Max gazed around as she gently escorted Chloe across the grassy pavilion and smiled when she saw a familiar figure waving her over. Taking her time with Chloe, Max nodded at Dana in greeting as she saw the girl approach the two of them.

"Max! _You're_ the guest photographer? Oh, this is so cool!" Dana said as she gave Max a hug, then looked over at Chloe with a concerned look, "Uh, Chloe, are you okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine," Chloe said softly as she looked up, then straightened herself, "Oh, hey Dana. What's up?"

"Just telling Max how excited I am that she's going to be our guest in class! You tagging along?" Dana asked, her eyebrow arched.

"I'm-" Chloe started, only to be interrupted by Max.

"She's my assistant," Max said, looping her arm around Chloe's, "I need some help with production, processing, you know. Chloe's good to have around."

Max watched Chloe blush as the taller girl scratched at her beanie while looking away. Getting a giggle from Dana, Max looked over at the girl behind Juliet that was eyeing her.

"Uh, hey. I'm Max," Max said, offering her hand to the other girl. Max watched the other girl eye the hand, then slowly reach out to shake hands, "You a friend of Dana's?"

"...Kind-of. I'm Juliet," the girl said bluntly, getting a look from Dana.

"Kind-of?" Max asked, "You seem awfully close to each other for 'kind-of'."

"I told you I've never had anything to do with Zachary," Dana blurted out to Juliet, the other girl crossing her arms. Max immediately wished she hadn't said anything, but Chloe's head perked up at the mention of the boy's name.

"Did you say Zachary?" Chloe asked Dana.

"Uh, yeah. Why?" Dana asked, both her and Juliet giving Chloe a funny look.

"Well, I overheard Bitchtoria at the lighthouse yesterday. She was talking about screwing around with you two, something to do with Zachary...," Chloe said, thinking back to the lighthouse, "She sounded pretty fucking proud of herself."

Dana and Juliet shared a look at each other, both girls rolling their eyes simultaneously. _Maybe it's a_ good _thing I didn't ever get a chance to attend this school_ , Max thought as she watched the scene play out. Juliet and Dana hugged while making remarks about Victoria and snickered at Chloe's re-naming her "Bitchtoria". Dana was about to speak up again when Max gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, but we've got to sign in and grab our visitor passes," Max said as she backed up the steps that lead to the main building, "It's nice to meet you, Juliet. Dana, don't forget your appointment with me, okay?" Getting nods in reply, Max spun around and gently tugged on Chloe as they passed through the double doors into the school.

"You okay?" Chloe asked as she saw Max's irritated look.

"Drama. Ugh."

"Ah. Simpler times?" Chloe asked, elbowing Max in the side playfully.

"Fire bad, tree pretty," Max said in a grunt, chuckling, "Crap, did it look like I was blowing them off?"

"Nah. You looked like an awkward little shit," Chloe said with a smirk.

"Wow, _Mom_ , you're so fucking nice."

"You kiss her with that mouth?" Chloe asked, taking the bait.  
"I'll do more than _kiss_ youif you don't watch it," Max said as she relinquished Chloe's arm, gesturing toward the administrator's office, lightly slapping Chloe on the butt as the taller girl walked past.

"Max Caulfield, we are in an institution of high learning! Behave, you fangy fuck!" Chloe said in mock admonishment with a grin.

" _Higher_ learning."

"No, _high._ At least half the students here bake, dude."

Max signed in both herself and Chloe, getting another pass from the office secretary before ushering Chloe back out into the hallway. Max and Chloe turned the corner when Chloe froze as she saw a figure approaching from down the hall. David locked eyes with Chloe and increased the tempo of his step until he was only a couple feet away. Max watched David grab her by the arm and pull Chloe to the side of the hallway and restrained herself from doing anything stupid in the hallway. Walking over to where Chloe and David were in a heated, but quiet, discussion, Max silently moved to stand alongside Chloe.

"-never mind that you disappear at all hours of the night, but you take off and your mother only gets a brief word from...from _her_ , I take it? Show some respect, Chloe," David said, jabbing a finger into Chloe's chest, "Joyce was worried sick."

"She has my number, _David_ , so clearly she wasn't worried enough to call me. Or is it that you need to know every goddamn aspect of my life? I was hanging out with my friend," Chloe said, gesturing at Max who felt increasingly uncomfortable.

"Oh, yeah? You actually have a friend? And what were you doing last night with your _friend_ , Chloe? Smoking grass, getting drunk _again_?" David asked, his voice getting heated as Chloe stared him down. Max was about to take a step back when what Chloe said took the metaphorical air out of her lungs.

"Her," Chloe said simply, crossing her arms as David looked at her in confusion.

"...What?" David said, trying to make sense of Chloe's answer.

"You want to know so goddamn bad," Chloe barked as she ignored Max's repeated tugs on her jacket sleeve, "I was doing _her_."

David's jaw dropped for a second before he regained his composure. _Thank you, inability to blush. God, Chloe, you just_ had _to say that! Urgh!_ , Max thought as she saw Chloe smile mischievously at David. David was still flabbergasted, no words able to escape him as his jaw opened and closed. Max watched Chloe as her face reddened, _Now you realize what you said?_ flashing across Max's mind, and pulled Chloe down the hall at breakneck speed.

"Slow down, Maximilian!" Chloe said, barely able to keep her feet under her.

"Goddamnit, Chloe Price, you don't fucking talk about our goddamn shit like that because it's so personal and I'm fucking pissed-" Max started, only to clamp her mouth shut as she realized nearly every student in the hall was watching them. "We _are_ going to be having a long, _long_ , conversation after I'm done here."

Max heard Chloe audibly gulp, her heartbeat increasing, and thought to herself _Good, be fucking scared. That was my first time_ ever _, Chloe, and you used it as ammunition! And you call me Suckface? You're a...a suckass!_ Releasing her hold on Chloe a few steps from the door, Max took a moment to compose herself and glared at Chloe from over her shoulder. Watching her tall friend visibly wilt a little made Max feel bad, but Chloe had pissed her off so Max wasn't in as much of a caring mood as she would normally be. Taking in air and exhaling the deep breath, Max felt herself calm down enough that she could comfortably enter the classroom.

"Ah, right on time," Mark Jefferson said to Max as he walked over to the doorway, hand outstretched. Max flashed him a grin, maybe still a little pissed, and hastily shook the offered hand. Feeling herself grip the teacher's hand too hard, Max quickly let Jefferson's hand go. "Wow, you've got quite the grip, Ms. Caulfield."

"Please, just Max. Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Jefferson," Max said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Nonsense! You're a native to Arcadia Bay, an independent photographer with experience, and the winner of last year's Everyday Heroes contest. It seemed a natural choice," Jefferson asked as he helped Max unload her materials from the camera bag that now sat on a small desk, separated from the others. "Oh," Jefferson said as he noticed a tall, blue-haired girl standing awkwardly in the doorway with a downcast look, "Didn't you go here last year? Miss...?"

"Price. Chloe Price. I'm Max's...I'm her...," Chloe started, looking at Max apologetically as she mouthed _I'm sorry_. Sighing, Max closed her eyes and walked over to take a hold of one of Chloe's hands.

"She's with me," Max said, with an irked tone, "A production assistant. We're starting out _temporary_ , see how things go." Max snickered as Chloe looked at her with wide eyes. _Yeah, you try and figure out what I meant by that, you big blue-haired_ jerk _._ Tugging the crestfallen Chloe over to the desk, Max took a seat on it and pulled her hair up into a ponytail with one of her bracelets as Jefferson quieted the class down. Max looked at the students with an examining eye. Noticing the quiet, sad-looking girl near the back of the room, Max waved at her with a small smile. Seeing the girl blush before giving a small wave in return, Max thought she looked sweet. Nodding at the other students as she was introduced, Max noticed two girls sitting in the back that were staring at her with their eyes wide open.

"-and so as you might guess, Max here is not only a burgeoning member of the indie photography scene but is also, pointedly for this class, the winner of last year's Everyday Heroes contest. A native of Arcadia Bay, Max has traveled all over. Max, would you like to share some of the places you've shot with the class?"

"Sure," Max said, sliding down from the desk to take control of the small projector that was occupying a corner of the desk she had been sitting on. Flipping through the slides, Max found one that caught her attention and a few murmurs from the class. "This shot, sunset on the River Thames, highlights the way the light plays off not only the river, but across the exteriors of both Big Ben and Parliament. If you examine the-"

"Excuse me," the quiet girl from the back said as she raised her hand, getting a vicious look from the girls sitting across the room from her, "Where did you take the shot from? It's such a great angle."

"I'm sorry, what's your name?" Max asked, scooting back onto the desk, placing a hand on the projector to prevent it from falling over.

"Kate Marsh," Kate said in a gentle tone.

"Well, Kate, I climbed onto the London Eye and took, oh, dozens of shots," Max said casually.

"What do you mean climbed? And I'm Victoria Chase, bee-tee-dub," one of the mean-looking girls said with a smirk, "We've already met."

"Uh, okay," Max said, looking at Chloe in confusion as she mouthed _Do I know her?_ Watching Chloe mouth back _I'll tell you later_ , Max turned back to the students. "Of course, I just mean I climbed in. I don't know anybody who has _climbed_ the London Eye."

Watching Victoria cross her arms over her chest with a smug expression, Max stuttered before continuing her discussion. Even Victoria grew silent as Max showed different locales every few slides. The Kremlin, The Red Square, Akihabara Station in Tokyo, the Grand Canyon, Max watched out of the corner of her eyes as Chloe frowned with each new destination shown. _Aww, Chloe. I'll take you places, too. Don't be sad, Che. We'll have adventures of our own._ Concluding the slide show with a stop-motion sequence of her skydiving that she had recorded with a helmet camera, Max switched off the projector and handed Jefferson one of her portfolios.

"Max has been kind enough to lend us a copy of her main portfolio. Inside, you'll see dozens of pictures like the ones we just looked at, as well as some modeling shots...?" Jefferson finished, looking at Max expectantly.

"Uh, sure. There's modeling shots in there. Mostly what people call 'alternative', but they're there," Max said as she noticed the slight upturn of Jefferson's lips. _Ew, creeper._

Jefferson asked the students if they had any questions for Max when the bell rang. Closing her eyelids, Max rolled her eyes in relief. _Thank. Dog._ _What have I signed myself up for? They're like a few steps away from a Battle Royale moment_. Thanking Mr. Jefferson for the opportunity of helping out at Blackwell, Max gestured for Chloe to come help her gather her small collection of things as the students left.

"Ugh, kill me now," Max said when only the two of them were in the classroom, "Why did I decide to do this? Do you know?"

"You're possibly a sadomasochist?" Chloe asked with a smirk, "Doesn't that come with the whole 'minion of the night' shtick?"

"I'm nobody's minion, thank you very much," Max said as she shouldered her camera bag, "And I'm sorry for snapping. That was seriously _not cool_ , though, Che. Out in the hall with that guy. Who the hell is he?"

"I'm sorry, Max. It was an asshole thing to do. As for the douche, he's my stepdouche," Chloe explained as she bumped her head against Max's softly in apology. Tilting her head up slightly, Max kissed Chloe on the forehead and tilted her chin up.

"Your step-dad is the head of Blackwell's security?" Max asked incredulously, "Is he why you didn't want to come here?"

"Part of it," Chloe replied, looking away, "We can talk about it some other time. I'm hella starved and haven't eaten anything yet today. What's say we-"

"So. Max _Caulfield._ " Max looked over Chloe's shoulder to see Victoria Chase leaning against the doorway, one hand on her hip. "Aren't you a little hot shit. When you're not being a complete freak, that is."

"Uh, is there something I can help you with?" Max asked with a quizzical expression. _What the hell did I do to her?_

 _"_ If you know what's good for you, you'll quit this job," Victoria snapped, eyeing Max and Chloe's intertwined fingers, "You're a low-talent shit with _awful_ taste in women. I'd hate for this class to be dragged through your garbage."

"You're a _student_ , not some pro photog," Max said in bewilderment, "Have you even been published? Have you ever presented your work in a gallery?"

Max felt a surge of satisfaction as Victoria stammered, then turned around and stormed out of the doorway. The door having been slammed behind her, Max laughed in the now-quiet classroom.

"Wowsers. I thought she looked kinda snobbish, but Jesus _fuck_ ," Max said, still somewhat bewildered. Looking over at Chloe, Max noticed she was moving towards the door. "Where you going?"

"I...I just need some air," Chloe said, her tone neutral, "Be back in a few."

Shrugging, Max sat back down on the desk and began to play with her phone. Feeling her stomach growl as she checked email, Max pulled a flask bottle out of her jacket pocket and uncapped the small container. Tilting her head back, Max sucked down the entire bottle in a single gulp, feeling herself a little more energized than she had been a moment ago. _I needed that. This little thing comes in pretty handy, less obvious than a freaking sports bottle,_ Max thought as she cracked the knuckles of one hand while scrolling through her phone with the other, _I should have known that Chloe would get upset at all the pictures I picked for the slide show. Nice one, dumbass. I'm still pissed over the crap she pulled with her step-dad, though. Not cool, Chloe Price. Not cool._

Max noticed as she glanced at the time on her phone that it had been a good five minutes since Chloe had left the classroom. Curious, Max stepped out into the hall as the students left the hall for their next class. Staring down the hall with a searching eye, Max saw no sign of Chloe. Closing her eyes, Max tilted her head slightly. Listening while sniffing the air, Max picked up on a smell of pot smoke and hair dye. Max heard angry whispers coming from somewhere ahead, opening her eyes as she began to walk toward the hallway that lead out of the building. Max stopped in her tracks when she saw Chloe sprint across the hallway ahead with a boy trailing behind. Worried, Max looked for a second to make sure no one was watching and sprinted forward, making it to the double doors in a few seconds. Looking across the courtyard for visible signs of Chloe, Max saw a head of blue hair running down the sidewalk in front of Blackwell with someone in pursuit.

Deciding to cut both people off, Max ran across the courtyard at a more acceptable speed for a public place and made her way into a small breezeway. Turning her head, Max felt herself begin to tense up as the concern for Chloe grew. Making sure she was alone, Max climbed up the wall of the building on the other side of the breezeway and leaped across the roof, looking down at the sidewalk. Catching up to Chloe and the boy, Max slid down the other side of the building and sprinted through the brush to a small park area on the other side of the school's campus. Seeing the path wind out from where she was to the sidewalk, Max moved forward in controlled steps as Chloe came around the corner.

"Max!" Chloe shouted in surprise, her smile disappearing as she saw the angry expression on Max's face, "Max, let's just go-"

"You don't get away from me that easy, _Bitch_! You think that anybody would believe your bullshit, you fucking dyke?!" Max heard a masculine voice say as the boy turned the corner. "Oh, what the fuck is this, your girlfriend? She looks about as strong as a fucking twig."

Max smelled something metallic emanating from the boy's direction. Watching the way the his clothes swayed, Max picked up on something heavy weighing down his jacket from the inside. Acting instinctively, Max was face-to-face with the boy in a heartbeat, picking him up by the throat with one hand. Shaking him, Max waited for whatever it was he had to drop, and let him go when the gun began to fall from inside his jacket. Ducking down quickly, Max caught the gun before it could hit the pavement, but not before it went off. Max felt the force with which she had caught small weapon, the impact it had made when colliding with her hand. Max didn't see whether she had caught a finger near the trigger or what; all she could feel was the moment of shock as something ripped into her. _He had a round in the chamber_ , Max thought as she stared at the boy's changing expression. Seeing the boy's eyes go wide, Max let him run off as Chloe came running up from behind her.

"You keep saving my life, I'm gonna think you actually fucking _like_ me, Max...Oh, _fuck_!" Chloe said as she looked at Max in horror.

The bullet had been fired at point-blank range, and Max winced as she picked at the hole in the side of her jacket. Feeling the bullet still inside her, Max cringed as blood began to dribble down the leather, a red that was nearly black. Max looked up at Chloe and tried to smile before realizing that Chloe looked like she might throw up.

"C-calm down, Chloe. Just...just breathe, alright?" Max asked, chuckling at the humor of her being shot in the side and asking someone to take deep breaths, "It's not as bad as it looks."

"How are you still standing?" Chloe asked, in shock.

"Hi, I'm Max. I'm a _vampire_ , remember?" Max said back with a sarcastic tone as she stuck a finger into the hole. Max heard Chloe gag and muttered "Turn the fuck away, then" as she felt the bullet with the tip of her finger. Wincing from the pain, Max pushed her finger in until it was past the bulled, bending the knuckle down and dragging the bullet out the way it came in. Slowly, methodically, Max moved the bullet until she heard a satisfying _ping_ as the piece of metal drop onto the sidewalk. Picking up the bullet, Max stuffed it into a pocket in her jeans and gingerly walked over to Chloe, who was leaning against a tree.

"I think you better have your mom come get us in your truck or something," Max said with a grimace as she shifted the jacket around so that the hole was not as visible.

"Uh, sure. Lemme...lemme...," Chloe said as she began to stare off into space. Crying out in pain as she caught the collapsing Chloe, Max felt the wound even more as Chloe landed on it.

"Crap crap _crap_ ," Max said as she laid Chloe gently on the grass. Fishing through Chloe's pockets, Max pulled out the unconscious girl's phone and called Joyce. "Oh, hey Joyce. Umm, Chloe passed out and I was wondering if you could come get us? Uh, nuh-uh, I don't know why she collapsed, but I'll see if I can wake her up? What? Nah, I don't think she needs the hospital. She'll probably be awake before you even get here? Ten minutes? That's fine. Okay. See you soon, then. Bye."

Ending the call, Max stuffed the phone back in Chloe's jacket pocket and began to gently shake Chloe. Not getting a response initially, Max reached into her bag and pulled out a water bottle she had packed for the punk girl in case she was thirsty while they were at Blackwell. Screwing the lid off, Max winced as she lifted up her arm and poured the water directly onto Chloe's face. Hearing Chloe cough as she spat out the water that made its way to her mouth, Max laid down on the ground next to Chloe as the other girl began to come to. _What are you up to, Chloe, and why were you messing with a kid packing a gun?_ Max closed her eyes as her stomach growled and she wished it was dawn already.

 **Author's Note - By Max catching the gun and causing it to accidentally discharge, I am implying that her strength is equitable to the force of impact against a concrete sidewalk. Some reviews and some questions brought up the puzzlement of a gun discharging before hitting the ground, so I thought I would elaborate.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Bad Reputation**

Max didn't talk to Chloe as Joyce drove them through Arcadia Bay. Arms crossed, Max was trying to hide the bullet hole while not screaming from the pain, looking out the window of the pickup truck as a distraction from the heartbreaking look on Chloe's face. Max knew the look was there, she caught a glimpse of it as they had climbed in the truck.

"I'm so goddamn sorry, Max. I-I fucked up," Chloe had whispered as they walked towards Joyce, Chloe's mother having driven up to Blackwell in Chloe's truck. "I can explain-"

"Don't," Max said, interrupting Chloe with a raised hand, "I _really_ don't want to talk right now, Chloe. I just want to go to my place, drink, and sleep."

"Well, maybe I can play Nurse Chloe-"

" _Alone_."

That had been the extent of their conversation from the moment Chloe had come to from having passed out to their truck ride. Max could feel the eyes of both Price women as they looked over at her in silent concern, but a large part of her could care less. She hated, _hated_ , getting shot. Max always felt that she never healed right after taking a bullet. Sliding her hand down, Max gingerly put a finger through the jacket hole and felt the spongy texture as her body began to knit itself back together. _I'll have to down another IV bag_ , Max thought as she rolled her eyes, _Maybe two. That, or one bag mixed with a couple bottles of my usual stuff. A bag and a bottle it is._

Watching as Joyce pulled up to the front of her building, Max climbed out of the truck with a muttered "Thanks" and grabbed her camera bag from the truck bed. Hearing the truck door open and close shortly after her, Max decided to let Chloe follow her. She wanted to hear what Che had to say, despite part of her beginning to regret coming to Arcadia Bay. _I'll never be safe. Not anywhere._ When they were out of Joyce's line of sight, Max spun around came face-to-face with Chloe Price in a single move. While Max's expression was one of suppressed anger, her eyes gave away the pain and made it harder for Chloe to look at her.

"Chloe," Max said in a neutral tone, "Look at me."

"No, Max, this was a mistake," Chloe said with a regretful tone, "I should have stayed in-"

"Chloe," Max said, her lips pressed against Chloe's ear, "Look at me." Chloe shook from the worry and anxiety, her glance one of abject grief as she looked at Max.

"I'm sorry, Max. I didn't mean for you to get involved," Chloe said, quickly looking back down at her feet.

"He had a _gun_ , Chloe. A gun. Are you crazy?" Max asked, wincing with every other word, "I got _shot_. If I were still...still alive, how differently do you think this would have gone down?"

Max waited for an answer but Chloe didn't speak up. Moving to lean against the wall, Max coughed for a second before spitting out a small spray of dark liquid, cringing at the taste of her own blood. _Whatever this crap is now, anyway._ Wiping her mouth off with the sleeve of her destroyed jacket, Max gave a disgusted sigh and looked over at Chloe. The taller girl stood in place, watching Max silently as she fidgeted with her hands. Shaking her head in exasperation, Max walked over to where Chloe was standing and hesitantly put a hand on Chloe's shoulder, eliciting a look of mild optimism from her friend.

"I'm still fucking pissed, Chlo," Max said in a stern voice, shutting the pain away, "I...I'm going need you to leave me be for a bit. I need time to heal, and to decompress. You pulled a lot of crap today, y'know."

Seeing Chloe nod sullenly, Max lightly squeezed the other girl's hand and headed up the steps. Hearing Chloe walk up a couple of the steps behind her, Max stopped and turned her head to the side, eyeing Chloe.

"I'm serious, Chloe. Go _home_."

Max didn't listen to whatever Chloe might have said in return. As the pain began to return to the forefront of her mind, the only things that crossed Max's mind were the bullet wound, Henri, and blood. Grabbing her keys from out of her pocket, Max hurriedly unlocked the door and went inside. _I think if I see that look on her face one more time I might just forgive her without even thinking. I want to, but whatever she has going on ended with me getting shot,_ Max thought as she walked out of the hallway and into her apartment. Leaving the lights off, Max easily made her way through the darkened space, peeling off her jacket and top. Tossing the ruined clothes in the trash can as she made her way to the kitchen, Max opened the fridge and pulled out her sports bottle. Uncapping the bottle, Max paused as she was about to drink the entire container dry. The hunger pangs wouldn't be satisfied from just a bottle of the stuff, Max knew, and the human blood she _did_ have was too much of a temptation. Putting the untouched bottle back into the fridge, Max opened the freezer door and pulled out a full jug of her animal cocktail. The jug was a gallon in size, like all the others, the type you would see in the dairy isle of a grocery store. Max thought about all the mornings she had cereal with Chloe, how she had caught a quick glimpse at the still-present cereal in Chloe's house. The small smile that had formed on Max's face turned into a thin line as the bullet wound sent another tremor of pain through her body.

Popping the cap off of the jug, Max put the opening to her mouth and tipped the jug. Mouthful after mouthful, Max swallowed the entire container down until she was licking at the rim of the jug before adding it to the waste in her garbage. Wiping the slight dribble off her chin and licking it up, Max chuckled to herself. _Messy eater, Max Caulfield. Then again, I kinda always have been._ Looking down in the trash can, Max saw the red stain in the jug and stared for a moment. Images from last night flooded her mind and Max felt her anger begin to build up. This was one of the things she didn't like about being a vampire, all her emotions jumping up in intensity. Mad became rage, and hunger was intermixed with lust. Max felt her body begin to shake as hot tears cascaded from her eyes.

Smearing the bloody tears as she wiped her face, Max started to sob as she stood alone in the darkened apartment. Gritting her teeth, Max's sobs began to give way to growls and low screams. Max clenched and relaxed her hands, ignoring the burning pain in her side as the burning pain inside of her from the past two days began to overwhelm Max. Letting loose one final scream, Max flung the couch against the wall, a loud _crack_ as the wood broke from the impact against the brick. Walking over to the broken piece of furniture, Max took a sizable piece of what had been her couch and smashed against the wall until she was holding a wooden stump. Tossing the stump, Max punched the wall and felt the brick give way slightly as her hand broke. Max screamed again, falling to her knees at the horror of being shot and of having to kill again.

Max's voice became hoarse after a few minutes until she could no longer speak. Still shuddering, Max slowly stood up and surveyed the carnage done to her apartment. _One couch gone, one wall beat to shit. Blood on the floor in small little drips. My blood. Blood like up on the roof. Blood on my hands._ Max felt her body's healing accelerate a slight amount as she turned and made her way to the bed, wincing from both the bullet wound and her now-broken hand. Not even bothering to clean herself up first, Max crawled into bed and covered herself up completely with the bedding as she went into her own little hibernation.

 _"Your name is Max, right? You need to calm down, child."_

 _Max didn't know who this person was, but he looked like a brute. Tribal tattoos lining his arms, his one redeeming feature was that his face seemed kind, albeit in a sad way. Max's moment of clarity faded as she began to hear heartbeats from somewhere nearby, and someone's panicked breathing._

 _"Shit, Henri! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"_

 _"Shut it, you little fuck! You were supposed to bring dinner, not another mouth to feed! You turned her, take some responsibility!"_

 _At the word "turn" the gears in Max's head that were still able to process information, despite her inescapable hunger, clicked together._ The coldness, the hunger, the fucking rage... _Max thought as she looked up at the man who had been called Henri._

 _"Am I...am I...?" Max asked, her voice shaky._

 _"You were dead, and now you are not. You will need to feed soon, if the little shit who made you can-"_

 _Max moved so fast that Henri cursed when he realized what was going to happen. Max pounced on the boy who had led her in to the abandoned building. Feeling his fists flail as she latched onto his chest with her hands, Max ignored the small bursts of pain as she slammed him into a nearby wall. Max heard the thudding sounds become crunching noises, but she didn't care. By the time Henri decided to reel her back in, the boy who had turned Max was nothing more than a bloody wreck of a body._

 _"Please," the boy managed to rasp, coughing up blood as something pink oozed from behind his ear, "I'm sorry. Please. Please stop."_

 _"_ _ **D-d-do you even**_ _ **know my name?**_ _" Max asked in a guttural tone._

 _When the boy couldn't answer, Max screamed as she pushed his head onto the ground with a bloody sneaker and crushed his skull beneath her foot. Panting, Max looked over as Henri stood nearby. Watching the man observe her, Max wiped some of the dead vampire's blood of her face as she instinctively took in a deep breath._

 _"_ _ **I**_ **...** _I'm hungry," Max had said, letting Henri guide her somewhere that wasn't where she had died._

Max woke up on Wednesday, nearly two full days later. Bleary-eyed, Max didn't even realize how long she had been asleep as she made her way to the bathroom, sticky with blood on her side and collected between the fingers of her healed hand. _Ugh, I feel leaden. My body is so stiff,_ Looking in the mirror above the sink, Max examined the smooth, bloody skin where the bullet wound had been. Twisting her torso around some, Max felt a slight _pop_ before her range of motion became satisfactory to her. Brushing her teeth first, Max used her other hand to mess with her hair, oblivious to her appearance. She had been bloody before, and as she was alone it truthfully meant little to her. Once her teeth were clean, Max stripped down and showered. _It feels like I'm rinsing off layers and layers of junk,_ Max thought as the scalding water hit her small form like rain, _I'll be good and refreshed for today. By the look of it, though, I'll still need to pack something to eat if I want to go out. I need a better sleep schedule._

Having finished her daily hygiene, Max changed into a comfortable gray hoodie and blue jeans before checking the pockets of her discarded jeans for her phone. Max's eyes opened a little wider when she saw the date on the lock screen. _I slept through Monday evening, Tuesday, and most of today? For cereal?_ Max rolled her eyes and opened up the messenger app to scroll through text after text. Max grimaced, coming to the folder marked "Chloe" and clicked on it. The list of messages was like a litany, text bubble after text bubble. Max felt her heart sink a little as Chloe's messages went from apologetic and pleading to sarcastic and bitter. The last few hit her the hardest, however, as she read them to herself.

 **Chloe: This is such bullshit, dude. I said I was sorry.**

 **Chloe: U won't talk? Fine. Not the first time, rite?**

 **Chloe: This is why I don't trust people, Max. U all bail.**

"You stubborn, angsty shit," Max muttered as she stuffed the phone into her pocket, only to pull it back out and send Dana a quick text informing her that she had been in an accident and would have to reschedule. Max walked over to the kitchen, and having grabbed her familiar sports bottle, Max took a long drink and began to collect the debris left in her wake from late Monday afternoon. Slowly walking down the steps and over to where the dumpster was, Max started with the largest pieces of the couch and finished with a bag containing the splinters. Closing her eyes as she leaned against the dumpster, Max took another drink from the sports bottle before walking back up to her apartment. Max had barely stepped out of the hallway when a knock at the door caught her attention. Shaking her head in mild irritation, Max responded with "Hang on!" and made her way back to the door.

"Who is it?" Max asked calmly, popping her neck and knuckles as she shook herself back to alertness.

"It's Joyce, Max. I thought we could talk."

"Uh, sure. Hang on," Max said as she unlocked the door and let Chloe's mother in. _Shit_.

Offering Joyce the chair, Max took a seat on a stool she dragged from the kitchen and watched as Joyce's gaze wandered across the apartment. Max's rolled her eyes as her stomach growled, drawing the attention of a grinning Joyce. _Oh shit, do I feed in front of her? Just a sip, maybe? I always wake up hungry, daytime not making things any better. Ugh._ Taking the bottle off the coffee table, Max gingerly took a small mouthful, fighting the urge the drain the entire liter. One drink always made Max realize how hungry she had been. Setting the bottle on the floor next to her feet, Max checked to make sure she didn't have any on her face before looking in Joyce's direction.

"What was in that?" Joyce asked, curious, "You sure did seem to like it."

"Oh, uh, a protein shake," Max said, "Cherry-flavored." _Dumbass._

"Oh. I don't see the appeal of that stuff. Can't be very filling," Joyce said with a shrug.

"Depends on what's in it, really. So, um, what brings you here Joyce?" Max asked, guessing what the answer would be. _Chloe, but I'm guessing you came here on your own._

"Well, Chloe doesn't know I'm doing this but I wanted to come and talk to you myself."

 _"_ Oh." _Called it._

"I can't imagine what the past few years have been like for you. Chloe let loose some things that she learned since you've been back, but only in small bits and pieces."

"Like what?" Max said, leaning forward. _Chloe Price, what the hell did you tell her? 'Oh, Mom, btw my bff drinks blood and we had hella fucking hardcore sex and I told David in the hallway of Blackwell Academy'. Actually, that sounds funnier than it should._

"Well, this place is pretty nice, Max."

"The rent is cheap, and most of the appliances and furniture are secondhand or stuff I salvaged from scrap."

"Well, it's nice. But what concerns me is Chloe. She's barely left Arcadia Bay, Max, let alone stayed any place else for a period of time longer than a couple of days and she sounded miserable when she told me about the pictures you had from all over. Combining that with _whatever else you two have going on_ , she's been even more of a worry than usual. She went through all the phases after William died and you left: bad boys, tattoos, piercings, drugs. Blue hair. When you came back last week I actually saw her genuinely smile for the first time in ages, and I _know_ that you two are becoming more than friends. Whatever it is that has you so upset, you haven't talked to her in days and she's regressing back into herself. She thinks you're abandoning her again."

"I told her I needed some time, Joyce. A _lot_ has happened since I've been back, and we've been...butting heads, I guess."

"Well, you need to talk to her, listen to what she has to say. Whatever it was that happened, she feels terrible for her part. She's barely left her room since we got home from dropping you off on Monday. Will you come back with me, talk to her?"

Max grew quiet for a moment, looking towards the kitchen. Taking another sip from her bottle, Max felt the slight rumble of her stomach being overpowered by the mixed feelings that she currently had towards Chloe. _This is all so fast. I'm scared I'll hurt her, but I'm even more scared of losing her. This sucks._ Coming to a decision, Max cleared her throat as she looked back at Joyce.

"Tell her...tell her I will meet her at the lighthouse," Max said solemnly.

"I will relay your message, hun. You've got a good heart, Max, but you two always gave each other the silent treatment when you got into arguments as kids. You're both adults now, so you need to start facing your differences."

Max nodded with a wry grin. _Technically, I'm an immortal teenager. I'm working on that, though. It's a thing._

Watching Joyce leave in Chloe's truck through an open window, Max quickly locked up the apartment and walked to her Vespa. Max knew she had to be careful of how much physicality she used in such a small town, and to especially conserve it during the daytime hours. Thinking about how much she had limited herself since coming back, Max thought back to the feeling of absolute liberation she had experienced in her early days as a vampire.

Max didn't miss the near-constant bloodlust, sometimes the fact that she drinks blood makes her skin crawl, but Seattle at night was like an obstacle course. Leaping, sprinting, climbing - Max had tore through the city time and time again for hours the first few days with a grin stuck on her face. There were no limits to her anymore; her shy, cliche personality had given way to a confident young woman. There had also been consequences for her new life; a hunger she fought on a daily basis and a previous life cut horribly short, innocence taken along with her heartbeat. Thinking about that time also brought up her memory of coming back to see Chloe a week after she had been turned.

Max remembered the mixture of heartbreak and starvation she had felt when she had seen Chloe three years ago. The fear of eating someone she loved, of killing them, was why she chose to run from her old life altogether. Max was shaken out of her memories as she pulled up to the lighthouse parking lot. Walking towards the path, Max paused as she felt her stomach clench from emptiness. _Shit! I left the bottle at home!_ Groaning in irritation, Max started up the path as her stomach growled.

Max managed to ignore her stomach until she made it halfway up the path. Standing just within the treeline, a wolf observed her with wary eyes. Max licked her lips as the sounds of her stomach continued. _Why does it have to still be daytime? If it was night, if I had remembered to grab my bottle...well, crap,_ Max thought to herself as her hearing picked up the wolf's beating heart. As if the animal had acquired a sixth sense, the wolf turned and made a run for it. Feeling her fangs pop out, Max sprinted up the hill and after the wolf.

Max heard Chloe approaching the hilltop before she saw her. Sitting on the deck of the lighthouse, Max looked down at the blue hair peeking out of the treeline.

"Shit!" Max blurted out, covering her mouth as she realized she had said it out loud. Feeling awkward, Max watched as Chloe looked up at the lighthouse.

"Max? Is that you up there?" Chloe asked, a tone of disbelief in her voice, "What are you doing?"

"Uhhh...um, just give me a second, Chloe! Or a minute! Give me a minute!" Max said over the railing as she turned back to the deck, looking at the dead body of the wolf. _Fuck, I was still eating that!_ Max thought as she turned back to look at Chloe, the girl down on the hill having put her hands on her hips.

"Seriously, Max. What the fuck are you doing?" Chloe yelled, her voice carrying easily to Max's heightened sense of hearing.

"Nothing! Just hang on!" Max grabbed the animal carcass by a rear leg and pulled it to the side of the lighthouse facing away from Chloe. Kicking the dead animal over the edge of the platform, Max hurriedly wiped her face and walked back over to look down at Chloe.

"Here I come!" Max said as she leaped over the railing and landed with a soft _thud_ on the ground. Max brushed the dust from her landing off of her hoodie when she saw Chloe staring at her.

"What?" Max asked, puzzled, "I'm pretty sure you could have known I can jump and land from that high with little problem, Chlo."

"No, it's not that. You have a little...something on your cheek? Is that blood...and _fur?_ " Chloe said, motioning with her own face where Max should wipe, "Dude, were you _eating_ up there?"

"...I-forgot-my-bottle-so-shush!" Max blurted out as she wiped at her face in embarrassment.

"Uh...what was it?" Chloe asked as she walked over towards Max and picked the little strands of matted fur off of her friend's face.

"...A wolf," Max said with a pout, afraid of how Chloe would react.

"Dude, you were hungry _for_ the wolf! Hardcore, Caulfield."

"You tell me I use puns and cheap shots too much but they _you_ go and do it? Ugh." Max watched as Chloe's face became serious after the moment of hilarity at her expense. "I didn't come here to fight, Chloe. I just wanted to-"

"Maybe _I_ want to fight. Did that not cross your fucking mind?" Chloe interrupted. _Don't take the bait, Max. She's mad, angry at everything. But don't be her punching bag, either. You're hurt, too._

 _"_ I came here to listen, but also to speak my own mind. You're not the only one hurting, Chloe, the only one in pain. Yeah, I wanted to be alone after what happened at Blackwell. I was pissed. I'd been _shot_ -"

"But you heal, Max, you-" Chloe started to say, only to be cut off.

"And what if I _didn't_ heal? You see me swoop in days ago, do all these 'cool' things, but do you not get what was taken from me in the process? Do you know how much I have to control myself, how depressed I get from all this shit?" Max asked, clenching her fists, "I can't walk, run, or carry anything without worrying that if I stop paying attention I might break something. Or _someone."_

Max watched as Chloe took everything she said in, a pensive look spreading across Chloe's face.

"And you don't realize how much shit has gone down here while you were off across the fucking globe, Max. You've been places I will probably _never_ go, done all this amazing shit, and you're so fucking different. But so am I. I've done some hella shady things, Max, and I'm in pretty deep. Have been for years. Then, one day, my childhood best friend comes back from the dead-"

"Chloe..."

"I didn't mean that as a joke. You...you come back and I just get swept up in you, everything about you. You're not even breathing but you seem so much more _alive_ than I remember. You save my life twice, tell me you love me, sleep with me, and then you drop me for days," Chloe said, her voice getting louder, "Yes, I got into a situation at the school that I had no bidness being in. Yes, I _fucked up._ But I wanted to be there for _you_ , Max, when you had been shot. Damn." Max watched as Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes before they could fall down her cheeks.

"I was afraid, Chloe, and upset. I needed to heal and I was angry. The healing takes time. These two days you're talking about? Your mom practically woke me up!" Max said, throwing her hands up as took a seat on the bench, "I've been _sleeping_ since your mom dropped me off, Chloe."

"...You've been asleep?" Chloe asked, her tone changing from one of agitation to embarrassment.

"Yes. I've been asleep. And of course I'd be cranky after what happened! I had a bullet hole in my side! Wouldn't you be cranky?" Max exclaimed.

"Well yeah, but I'd also demand you nurse me back to health. I wouldn't shut you out."

"You don't know what being this way is like. Chloe, when I get injured it's like animal instincts kick in. I drank a gallon of blood-"

"Dude, gross."

"...A gallon of blood. In seconds. I had to force myself not to drain another IV bag, the hunger was almost too much. My body takes time to stitch itself back together. Sure, it's fast compared to a human, but it still takes time."

"But you could've just said all that," Chloe said, and Max felt her heart get crushed from the heartbreaking way in which Chloe had spoken, "You could've been open with me and just told me what was going on."

"And you could have told me what you were up to at the school instead of trying to kiss my butt," Max said, a small grin on her face.

"Dude, I don't think I could ever kiss your butt. Probably tastes like shit."

"...Really, Chloe?"

"Sorry, couldn't help it." Chloe asked, sliding over to sit next to Max on the bench.

Playing with the hem of her hoodie, Max's head was downcast as Chloe slid an arm around Max's shoulders. Chloe's pulse was like an addiction to Max, she could never get enough of the feeling of life that emanated from her friend. Feeling a small weight lift from herself, Max looked up and gently bumped Chloe's forehead with her own.

"This going to be a regular thing, us fighting?" Max asked, anxious, "Because I really don't want it to be.

"We've only been back together for a couple days, Max. There's going to be bumps, but fuck I hope not. I do not need any more drama," Chloe said, her voice echoing her tired expression.

"Oh, are you sensitive?"

"I can _sense_ I'm going to kick your ass, you little bat-brat."

"I honestly would not wish this, what I am, on anybody, Chloe. You lose yourself at times, and the hunger can be so strong. I go into a public place and I can hear every heart, smell every person. It's like the air is permeated with a flavor," Max said with a depressed tone

"Oh? What's my flavor?" Chloe asked, smiling, as she nudged Max with an elbow.

"Pot and hair dye," Max replied with a smirk as she returned Chloe's elbowing with an elbow of her own.

"Well, no one ever said you have good taste," Chloe said as she leaned her head down and kissed Max, "Wow, I forgot how bad your breath is after you've...is it eaten or drank? I'm so fucking confused."

"Meh, I switch it up," Max said, "Chloe, what _did_ happen at Blackwell? I mean, you looked terrified when I saw you run down that hall. It scared me."

Chloe leaned forward and looked down at the coastline. Watching Chloe, Max waited for the other girl to speak, patient. Looking off into the waters for a long moment, Chloe looked over at Max with a cautious expression. _No, Chloe. Please, don't lock me out._

"I...I tried to blackmail Nathan Prescott," Chloe blurted out, looking away from Max with a grim look on her face, "Dude shills out bad shit cut with laxative. Before you came back, I tried to scam some money from him. Fucker was waving his cash in some dive bar I was at. Easy score, right? We go to his room at Blackwell and...and I think he spiked my beer because the next thing I remember is him creeping up on me with a camera."

Max bristled at the mental image of someone trying to violate Chloe. _No, she_ was _violated_. _She was drugged._ Max felt something in the pit of her stomach begin to writhe. Digging her fingers into the wooden seat of the bench, with her entire body feeling suddenly rigid, Max stiffly nodded for Chloe to continue, her demeanor hiding sudden dark intentions.

"I tried to kick him, but I kicked over some of his shit instead. He freaked and I booked it out of there. Heh, I must be pretty goddamn stupid because I tried to blackmail him for it. Sent him a text message to meet in the girls' restroom. Found him already there, all twitchy and shit. We spoke, things got heated, and he started to pull back his jacket. I saw the metal and ran out the door before he could pin me down. I didn't think. Just ran, ran as fast as I could," Chloe finished, looking up as Max squeezed her hand softly.

"Why? Why would you do something like that?" Max asked, no judgment in her voice. Only concern.

"The wheels were already set in motion, okay? He tried to fuck with me, so I tried to fuck with him. I just...I just want out of this goddamn town."

"You still want out of here?" Max asked.

"Hell yes, I do! Max, I want to travel. I want to go places, see the world and all the cliche bullshit," Chloe said, sitting back up to smoke a cigarette, "Your photos brought back a lot of memories."

"...Will you be doing this alone, this traveling?" Max asked in a quiet voice. Chloe head jerked up and she looked over at Max with wide eyes.

"Of course not, Max. After all, you need your Lara Croft. That is, a blue-haired one...with tattoos...and piercings...," Chloe said with a smirk.

"Well, _I_ don't think I need a bodyguard anymore, Che. If anything, _I've_ been your bodyguard these past couple of days. I mean, I took a bullet for you."

"Yeah, well I also know how to stand on my own two feet. I was hella terrified when I saw that hole in you, Max. I thought you were dying, and the next thing I know my head is soaked and your dripping blood on the pavement. But yeah, you _clearly_ do not need a bodyguard. How about a faithful companion?"

"...How 'bout a faithful _girlfriend_?" Max said quickly, eyes widening as she realized what she said. Chloe choked on her cigarette before hurriedly snuffing it out against one of the bench's metal legs.

"Wow. You work fast, Caulfield. You think because we tell each other our feelings, kiss, and have sex-"

"You're such a _charmer,_ Miss Sex-and-Tell _."_

"I know, it's one of my better qualities. You think because you come back, save my life, tell me you love me, and everything else that I'm just going to give myself over to you? I'm the one who gets high, remember?" Chloe said, trying not to smile.

"Chloe Price, are you blushing? Oh my Dog, you _are_ ," Max said, stifling a giggle as Chloe turned her face away again.

"Fuck off, Max. It's not like...yeah, fine. Okay," Chloe said, groaning as she pulled her beanie over her eyes.

"Okay what?" Max asked. _Where is this going? Okay to what?_

"Yes, I'll be your goddamn girlfriend. Nerd."

Max's expression changed from calm to giddy in an instant, and she forgot her own strength when she grabbed Chloe by the shoulders and pulled her into a kiss. Max heard Chloe's muffled surprise as Max stood up, still clutching onto her. Shivers ran down Max's skin as Chloe's pulse echoed through her hands, her lips. _It's like she's sharing with me what it's like to still be alive. I think if I were still human I would have blushed at her dorky consent to be with me. Such a class act, Che._ Max held onto Chloe a moment longer, then gently released her, grimacing as Chloe rubbed her shoulders.

"Oh, sorry!" Max said, feeling awkward, "I-I didn't meant to do that, I just got excited!"

"Oww, dude! Your fucking 'Max Smash' game is clearly good, damn," Chloe said as she rubbed her shoulders, "Ugh, if I bruise you totally owe me."

Max felt her fingers intertwine with Chloe's as they both looked out at the sunlit sky. Max felt content, but also sad in that she never got to do this while she was alive. _If I could have just told you, Chlo, back when we were still together. You deserved an answer right then and there, and I chickened out. I've told you now, but I just hope that is enough to start. Oh, I wish I could tell you everything..._ Leaning her head against Chloe's shoulder, Max sighed in frustration as her stomach growled.

"Wow. Kill my buzz, Maxaroni," Chloe said with a chuckle, "Do you need to go? Are you tired?"

"I would like to stay for a bit longer, if that's okay, but I will need to eventually rest. I'm still kinda out of it from all that healing," Max said apologetically.

"What is that like, the healing?" Chloe asked as she leaned into Max.

"Your body is stitching itself back together and you somehow _know_ it is, feeling the torn or shredded bits coming back together," Max explained, lifting up her hoodie to show Chloe the smooth area of her side where the wound had been.

"Holy shit, can I touch it?" Chloe asked, reaching a hand out tentatively. Max nodded and took Chloe's hand, softly placing it on her side, "Dude, this is hardcore. You're fucking hardcore, Max. What the hell _can_ kill you? I mean, you're like invincible or something. Sorry, asking that was dumb," Chloe said, looking down at her feet.

"It's okay. I know of some ways," Max said sullenly, the rooftop and Henri flashing across her mind, "But it's gruesome and I don't want to talk about it right now. Sorry."

Chloe just shook her head in apology and sat there with Max as they watched the sunlight play over the waves. After an hour or so, Max stretched as the weariness of the daylight hours took their toll on her. Sleepily looking over to Chloe, Max gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Drive me home? Max need sleep. Sleep is good," Max said in her best caveman impression. Chuckling, Chloe responded by pretending to hit Max on the head with a club and lifted the sleepy girl up.

"I would take you back to my cave, but I'm pretty sure that is a bad idea. David told my mom about our...," Chloe started, getting a chuckle from an increasingly sleepy Max.

"Pff, you told him we had _sex_. Sexy time. Fun dip. Naked twister-"

"Yes, I told him. Not using your various linguistic skills, though. Mom wasn't surprised, but was also in agreement with David that your days sleeping over in my room are numbered."

"Booooo," Max said before yelping in surprise as Chloe picked her up and hoisted Max onto her back.

"Shush, nerd, and just go to sleep. Dream of rainbows and blood bags and whatever the fuck else you dream of."

"...Taste the rainbow..."

It was the evening when Max woke up. Sitting up straight, Max wiped at her eyes for a moment before glancing at the wall clock to see that it wasn't yet 8pm. Taking a moment to stretch, Max slipped out of bed and checked her phone. A single message from Chloe popped up, "c u 2morrow. nite nite nerd-pire", which elicited a snicker from Max before she set her phone back down. Grabbing the pair of black jeans from before, Max pulled a black t-shirt on and quickly slipped into her boots. Stopping at the kitchen on the way out, Max downed the nearly-full sports bottle before she left.

Locking the door behind her, Max enjoyed the crisp cool air on her skin before she felt it shiver as her anxiousness grew. Max recalled what Chloe had said on the hill, and the words had created a cold feeling in the center of Max's being. _I need to be fucking ice tonight, fucking steel. He's just a human, nowhere near as strong as Henri. If I'm lucky, he won't even see me._ Grabbing the top of the doorway, Max flipped herself up and onto the roof. Popping her neck, Max looked out at Arcadia Bay, dimly lit by street lamps and storefront signs. Max ran across the roof and leaped over the street to a nearby building. Repeating the movement over and over, Max began her trek to Blackwell Academy.

The boys' dormitory was nestled against the same woods as the girls' dorm, so Max ran _around_ the campus as opposed to through it. Finding an adequate tree, Max found herself perched a safe distance away from the window of Nathan Prescott. Recognizing the boy from the other day, Max's eyes narrowed into slits as Chloe's tale involving Nathan played in a loop inside her head. _I will make you regret that, boy. I will make you regret so many things._

Watching him for the better part of an hour, Max nearly felt the smallest amount of pity for her prey. His function as a crazed drug dealer who dipped into his own supply was obvious, evidence being his almost nonstop talking to himself and the various pill bottles scattered across his desk. Max bided her time, crouched on the same tree branch, and felt a sense of pleasure as Nathan left his room with what appeared to be a small bag of hygiene products. Leaping across the small open space, Max grabbed a small overhanging ledge that was to the right and up from Nathan's window. Shifting her weight, Max swung over slightly as she let herself drop. Feeling the window's wooden frame creak slightly from her weight, Max pulled herself up so that she was in a better position. Using one arm, she forcibly pried open the window and slipped inside to survey her new surroundings.

Taking a moment to listen through the door, Max heard no noise coming from the hall. Turning back to the room, Max proceeded to trash _everything_. Tearing the bed apart, wrecking the desk and computer, Max spilled all the pills out into the middle of the floor and crushed the digital camera sitting on Nathan's couch. Hearing voices from both sides, Max knew her time was almost up. Deciding to go for broke, Max took a red marker and proceeded to write on the mirror next to Nathan's door. Dropping the marker, Max slipped back out the open window and closed it, the voices growing in number. Max dropped down again to the ground and sprinted to the treeline to get a better look at the result of her actions.

Nathan Prescott walked back into his room to find it in pieces. Dropping his hygiene kit, he stood momentarily dumbfounded in his open doorway before beginning to shout incoherently. Max grinned as she saw a couple other boys look in from the hall in shock. Nathan slammed his door shut and pressed himself against the door for a moment before examining the destruction. Moving to examine the wrecked desk area, Nathan walked on his pills with a _crunch_ that gave Max satisfaction. The grin forming on Max's face widened when Nathan finally looked back toward the entrance to his room. In large red letters, the phrase "I C U" was written on the full-length mirror attached to the wall.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm Not Okay,** named after the single My Chemical Romance

 **2010**

 _I want to die_. The thought repeated itself in Max's mind as she dragged herself through the woods outside of Arcadia Bay. Sobbing, Max felt hot streaks of wetness cascade down her face as she walked farther and farther away from the junkyard. _Che, I can't stay here, I'm sorry. I thought I could_. Bitterness rising in her, Max let out a scream and ran at full speed. Trees blurring, Max saw a small tree directly in her path and leaped up into it. Hitting the tree dead-center, Max felt a satisfying _crack_ as the tree began to split in half. The section of it still anchored to the ground tilted slightly as the top half came crashing onto the ground, blowing leaves and dirt as it impacted. Sniffling, Max wiped the blood and dirt off of her face with a sleeve from her hoodie and apprehensively walked to a shard of wood that had been separated from the two tree halves before her.

Clutching the length of broken tree, Max placed the tip of one end against her chest and began to instinctively take in deep breaths. Forgetting that she didn't need to breathe, Max began to hyperventilate as she closed her eyes in preparation. _I can't do this, I just_ can't _. I should be dead. I wish I was, goddamnit._ Her body tensing, Max took one final breath.

"Goodbye, Che. I'm sorry," Max whispered as she brought the shard of wood against her chest only to feel it freeze in place. Pulling harder, Max grunted as she opened her eyes and saw a familiar face staring at her with a saddened expression.

"This is not the way we do things, Max," Henri said as he pulled fast on the piece of wood, moving so fast that Max cried out as it sliced open the palms of her hands, "We work _through_ pain: physical, mental, emotional."

"B-but it hurts s-so much," Max said, the sobs returning. Henri pulled the small girl into his arms and held her for a moment as Max cried.

"I know, Max. I know. We feel everything so much stronger than in our previous lives. Our senses _and_ emotions are all heightened. We learn to work with it, _through_ it, without letting it control us. We control ourselves, and in doing so make it safer for others to do so as well," Henri said as Max took a step back, "Saying goodbye to your old life is always the hardest part, and it having to come so soon only makes it worse. I know this just as well as you."

Max sniffed as she took off the hoodie and wiped her face clean. Wearing her old Jane t-shirt, Max punched Henri in the shoulder as he looked at her choice of attire with a bemused expression.

"Just because I'm different now doesn't mean I have to forget who I am as a person," Max said, pointing at Henri's all-black attire as she noticed his examination of her, "Not all of us use vampirism as an excuse to look like an extra from a goth metal band."

"Have you eaten?" Henri asked, shrugging at her remark towards his clothing choices, "There's some deer on the other side of that hill. I know human blood makes you...squeamish."

Watching as Henri pointed off in a general direction that was opposite the way she had come, Max whispered one last goodbye to Arcadia Bay and took a runner's stance as she smirked at her mentor.

"Race you!" Max cried out, taking off before Henri could respond, hearing his deep-bellied laughter as he began to catch up.

 **2013**

Max returned to her apartment after her fun at Blackwell and quickly changed her t-shirt for a tank top and olive drab button-down shirt. Rolling up the sleeves, Max walked into the bathroom and picked the few bits of leaves and dirt out of her hair and off her face. Sprinting the entire way back, Max had been a little careless in choosing where she had landed the few times she stopped to ensure she wouldn't collide with anything. _Next time, don't leap_ into _a fucking cluster of bushes, Max. Leap_ over _the bushes_ , _way less clean-up._ Blowing some dust off of her lips, Max swatted a bug that had trailed her in as it landed on the mirror. Max winced as she accidentally broke the mirror, using too much force as her hand came down on the fly.

"Crap," Max said, examining the shattered mirror. Max heard her phone vibrate and spun around suddenly, the energy from her previous activities still running through her. Walking across to her bedroom, Max snatched her phone from the bedside table and swiped open the menu.

 **Chloe: u awake?**

 **Max: 4 u? yes**

 **Chloe: aww aren't u mushy as fuck.**

 **Chloe: two whales**

 **Chloe: ten minutes. don't b late**

 **Max: Who's the faster person, between the two of us? ;)**

 **Chloe: Shush, and NO EMOJI**

Smiling, Max put the phone in her hip pocket and walked toward the hallway. Taking a moment to look at the broken mirror, Max saw several small reflections of her face looking back at her with a mischievous grin. Thinking of her encounter with Nathan Prescott a short time ago, Max couldn't help but grin. _Little shit deserved it_ , Max thought to herself with a hint of malevolence, _Fucker shot me, could have shot Chloe. If he'd shot Chloe...I don't know what I would have done instead. Pretty sure it wouldn't be wise for me to attract_ too _much attention, heh._

Feeling a little lackadaisical, Max walked over to the bus stop a couple blocks over and waited for the public transport to arrive. Plugging in her earbuds, Max flipped through her library and settled on the acoustic version of Lacuna Coil's "Heaven's a Lie" and leaned against the sign post for the bus stop. Waiting a few more minutes, Max shrugged as the bus didn't show and instead began to walk in the direction of Two Whales. Max felt a lightness to her step that came with the exhilaration of being mischievous. Not the first time she had used her new-found prowess to prank someone, Max began to giggle to herself as she remembered the multiple looks Nathan Prescott had made when he had returned to find his room trashed. _Don't mess with Max, fucker!_

By the time Max made it to Two Whales, Chloe had already arrived. Max smirked as she saw Chloe press her face at the window, having spotted Max. Mouthing "You suck!" at Max from inside with a grin, Max popped her fangs out at Chloe for a second before retracting them and going inside, enjoying the slight jump Chloe did in her seat. The smell of diner food wafted to Max and she felt a relishing for every item on the menu. _I wish food still made me hungry. I could definitely go to town with the diner's entire selection of pies_. Grinning over at Joyce and giving a small wave, Max walked over to Chloe and plopped down next to the blue-haired girl rather than sit across from her.

"Dude, you're fucking cramping me," Chloe said, elbowing Max as she pressed Chloe to the window.

"It's because I suck," Max replied with a snort, sliding back to the edge of the booth to give Chloe more room. Chloe tried to push Max out of the booth but couldn't so much as budge her.

"Special powers are cheating, suckface," Chloe muttered as she continued to push at Max.

"Yeah, but letting you win would be pretty pathetic, Che," Max said with a snicker. Shrugging, Max quickly slid out of the booth, snorting when Chloe fell onto the seat face-first from the sudden lack of Max in the bench.

Chloe grumbled for a moment before turning red as Max bent down to give her a tender kiss on the cheek. Taking the seat opposite Chloe, Max began to look through the single menu already at the table. Looking over the edge of the menu, Max noticed Chloe looking at her with a curious expression.

"Uh, what?" Max said, feeling awkward at being the center of Chloe's attention in a public place, "Seriously, don't stare."

"Sorry. It's just...can you actually taste food? I've seen you pick at food here, and I've seen you drink hooch, but do you taste it? Does it do anything?" Chloe asked, resting her elbows on the table as she cradled her head with her hands.

"Yeah, I can taste it. I don't get hungry for it, though. I don't know...I guess it's nostalgia or something? I like the taste, so I eat it. As for alcohol, I _can_ still get drunk. It just takes a _lot_ ," Max explained, crossing her arms in embarrassment.

"How much does it take?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Chloe Price?"

"Yes, so I can totally have my way with you. 'Price vs Caulfield: The Sequel'. Fucking nerd."

"You can't afford me," Max said, arching an eyebrow. Seeing the mischievous grin on Chloe's face, Max instinctively gulped as Chloe pulled back her jacket to reveal a flask bottle before covering the alcohol back up. "That's like a fucking sip to me, Chloe."

"No fair! You're...enhanced constitution is cheating, and will not be allowed in the interest of fairness!" Chloe whispered with a pout, and pulled back the other side of her jacket to reveal _another_ flask bottle.

"Jesus, Chloe! Do I even want to know how you got those?" Max asked with a groan, eyeing Chloe's look of absolute glee.

"I have my ways, Max Caulfield. You underestimate the power of the Chlo Side," Chloe said triumphantly, then gave a look of feigned abashment as Max put a palm to her face in resignation.

Joyce came up to the booth with two coffees and an additional menu to the sound of Max and Chloe laughing and cracking jokes. The sight of both girls looking genuinely happy made Joyce smile that much brighter as she set the coffees down and hand Chloe the spare menu. Turning the menu down, Chloe snagged the one Max was using and laid it out flat on the table, the two girls pointing at various items like it was a treasure map from their days pretending to be pirates. Ordering a strawberry shake, a basket of fries, and two slices of cherry pie, the girls handed Joyce back their menu and waited in contented silence for the food to arrive.

"...I wish this moment could last," Max said, surprising Chloe with her sad tone, "Take away the other people, the sounds from outside. Just you, me, and this calm." Max reached over and took Chloe's hand, kissing the back of it softly. Chloe pulled her hand back with an embarrassed expression, looking away from a smirking Max as her face turned red.

"Dude, save the mushy for private time," Chloe said, "You're wrecking my street cred."

"Oh, looks like we've got a badass over here," Max said, raising her arms.

"You are one of the reasons Tumblr shouldn't exist, Max Caulfield," Chloe said with a huff, eyeing Max out of the corner of her eye.

"Your anguish sustains me," Max said in an impression of Stewie Griffin.

" _Ugh_ ," Chloe said, dropping her head onto the booth's table, then looking up with a wry grin, "Just 'B Positive' Max."

Max snorted at the joke, breaking into a giggle as they continued the sarcastic remarks while waiting for Joyce to bring them their food. Max looked down at her foot as she felt Chloe rubbing one of her booted feet against Max's. A cheesy grin on her face, Max looked back up to see Chloe in a moment of unabashed affection, the punk leaning her head against her propped-up arm as she just gazed towards Max. _Wowsers, I've never really seen whatever this side of Chloe is._ Max rubbed the back of her head and looked away bashfully, feeling awkward as Chloe just continued to look at her. The two girls didn't even notice Joyce approaching with their order, Chloe's mother gently setting down the food as she realized the girls were only paying attention to each other. Snapping out of the moment as Joyce left, Max flashed Chloe a shy smirk as she popped a french fry into her mouth.

"Playing footsie in public? What will Joyce say?" Max asked, barely keeping her voice from stuttering.

"I think you're a bad influence on me, Maxaroni. Too fucking cute, you little nerd," Chloe said, sitting up. Grabbing the ketchup, Chloe squirted a zig-zag pattern across the pile of fries and shook black pepper on them before taking a few of the now-seasoned goods.

The two ate in silence, Max picking at the fries on occasion as Chloe tore into them with gusto. Setting the empty basket aside upon her devouring of the finger food, Chloe's eyes widened as she pulled a slice of pie in front of her. Forking a chunk of the dessert into her mouth, Chloe practically inhaled the mouthful of pie before flashing Max a grin, her teeth stained with the cherry juice.

"Guess who I am?" Chloe asked, still grinning.

"Chloe, please don't."

"C'mon! Guess!"

"Me, smartass?" Max asked, rolling her eyes as she took a sip of the shake.

"Wow, it's like you're psychic or something," Chloe replied sarcastically.

Max took small bites from her own slice of pie as Chloe wolfed down her own. Pushing her half-eaten pie towards an eager Chloe, Max sipped at her lukewarm coffee while Chloe dug into the remnants of Max's dessert. The two finished their time at Two Whales exchanging the straw for the shake between each other before both girls looked away bashfully as Joyce interjected with a second straw. Chloe and Max played along with Joyce and took a drink at the same time as Joyce took a picture with Chloe's phone and handed it back.

"I should delete this," Chloe said, eyeing the picture on her phone's screen, "This evidence could be used against me."

"It already can, dummy. I'm the first witness."

"Nope. Conflict of interest. You're my significant other."

"Ugh," Max said with a small groan. _Even_ I _can only take a joke so far, Chlo. Jesus._

" _Ugh,_ " Chloe mockingly repeated Max's sound of disgust as she took the smaller girl's hand and led her toward the door. They had nearly made it when Chloe overheard a conversation from a nearby booth.

"-and all his shit was broken, dude! Zach nearly got his face caved in by Nathan, dude was laughing at Prescott so hard. Oh, man, I'd be pissed too if something like that happened to me, though. Especially if they destroyed _my_ stash," a boy said as Chloe sidled up against the booth he was occupying a friend.

"Ladies," Chloe said with a smirk at the two boys, garnering a sarcastic grin from each of them, "What's the stitch? Something happen? Talk to me, Justin."

"Nathan Prescott's room was trashed, man. He said that he went to go brush his teeth and when he came back it looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to nearly all his stuff. Left some message for him too, though he won't tell anybody what it was. Dude's a freak already..." Justin said, nodding in greeting as Max joined them. Max leaned up next to Chloe, holding her hand as Chloe looked at Justin with a huge grin.

"So he's a super-freak?"

"Always going for the cheap shots, huh?" Justin's friend asked, smirking.

"It hits them when they least expect it, Trev. Well, girls, I'm off with my never-blushing girlfriend to go on madcap adventures. Catch ya later," Chloe said, punching Trevor playfully on the arm before pulling Max out of the diner.

Walking to the truck in silence, Chloe opened her driver's side door and unlocked the passenger side. Sliding into the seat, Max was closing the door when she heard a gasp come out of Chloe. Turning around, afraid something happened, Max looked over to see Chloe staring at her with a giddy expression.

"Dude! That was you!" Chloe exclaimed, grabbing Max by the shoulders, "Why the fuck didn't you invite me along?"

"Chlo," Max said as she giggled at Chloe's manic look of happiness, "Can you climb up a wall with enough strength to break open a window and smash furniture with your bare hands?"

"No, but I could totally be there for _immoral_ support! I could stand by the trees and jump for joy as you fuck Prescott's shit up!"

"...You'd be my cheerleader...?" Max asked incredulously.

"...Well, when you put it that way...yeah, I'd still fucking do it," Chloe said hesitantly as she let Max go to start up the truck.

"I'll be sure to get you some 'uber-punk' pom-poms when Dana comes by for her shoot."

"Oh, fuck _you_. And here I am, being the supportive girlfriend. This fuckery shall not stand. Good day!" Chloe said, sharply turning her head to face out the windshield.

"Are you cereal, Che? I _was_ just kidding-"

"I said good day! Chloe cut Max off, Max's jaw dropping for a moment before seeing Chloe trying to suppress a grin."

"Pffft, whatever," Max said, shaking her head as she looked out the passenger side window, "So where now, Captain Chloe?"

"My house for a sec, then...mischief," Chloe said with a wink, pulling out of the parking lot and driving off.

Pulling up to Chloe's house, Max was told by Chloe that it would just be for a second as she was asked to stay in the truck. Watching Chloe run up to the front door and hurry inside, Max slouched in the truck's seating and hung a foot out of the open passenger side window. Looking out the windshield, Max surveyed the dimly lit streets of Arcadia Bay at night with calm eyes. _This peace and quiet, this is what I need. Chloe's here, I have work and a roof over my head. No bullshit...well, okay._ Some _bullshit. Nothing I can't handle, though, so long as it comes in small doses._

Max tilted her head and looked out of the corner of her eye as Chloe came sprinting out of the house, an enormous grin on her face. Running up to the truck, Chloe slapped her hands against the hood of the vehicle like a bongo player as she looked over to wink at Max. Making her way around to the driver's side, Chloe flung the door open and jumped inside, the mischievous smile back on her face. Shoving her hand into one of her jacket pockets, Chloe produced a set of keys with a blue tag attached to them.

"For this evening's entertainment, Madame Max, we shall be taking in the refreshing Blackwell Academy pool. Heated and illuminated from underwater, the water will no doubt invigorate you with its warmth and chlorine," Chloe said with an attempt at an English accent, "C'mon, Bloody Maxie, tell me you love me."

"You're ridiculous," Max said, shaking her head as she chuckled.

"Coming from the girl who broke into Nathan Prescott's room and trashed it, I choose to take that as high praise," Chloe said, noticing that Max was no longer paying attention. "Hey, Max. Earth to Max! You okay?"

Max felt the hair on the back of her head stand up as she suddenly like she was being watched. Looking out the windows of the truck, Max couldn't figure out the source of the sensation and turned to face a concerned Chloe. Max flashed her a quick smile and kissed Chloe on the forehead to appease her. _Probably nothing_ , Max thought.

"Sorry. Kinda spaced out," Max said, telling a half-truth to mask her own level of concern, "So, Blackwell?"

Chloe gave Max a reluctant grin as she looked at her friend for a moment before turning to the CD player. Grabbing a disk from the small wallet on the floor, Chloe slid the CD into the truck's stereo. Max looked over at Chloe with a rueful smile as "Sabotage" by The Beastie Boys began to play, Chloe turning up the volume to where it was blaring out of the small speakers. Starting her truck up, Chloe sped off in the direction of Blackwell Academy, the two girls off on their own evening adventure.

Blackwell's main campus was empty for the most part, security guards crossing the main courtyard from the gym to the school itself. Watching from around the corner of the gym that led to the parking lot, Chloe tugged her beanie down a little to hide her blue hair as she signaled for Max to come up next to her. Feeling a momentary breeze, Chloe looked over at Max and stuck her tongue out as the other girl appeared almost instantly at her side. Taking Chloe's hand, Max let herself be led to the gym's main entrance. Max kept a wary eye on the courtyard as Chloe began to try the keys.

"Let me know when you're done. I'm going to take a nap," Max said sardonically.

"Okay. Sure, SuperMax, by all means astound the audience with your 'wrenching the door of its hinges' skills. I can pull off subtle with the keys, or we can spend the evening wondering what might have been if you hadn't busted the wall down trying to get us inside," Chloe countered.

Hearing a small _click_ , Max looked over as Chloe smiled and raised her hand up for a high-five. Looking at her with a bemused expression, Max folded her arms across her chest as Chloe realized that she would not be receiving said high-five. Lightly punching Max on the shoulder, Chloe opened the double doors in a dramatic fashion and pulled Max inside.

"I'm not sure, Chlo. I was in Nathan's room for only a couple minutes. How long exactly do you plan on us being here?" Max asked in a reluctant tone as they made their way through the building to the pool's entrance.

"I don't know. Let's just relax and have some fun! Oooh, heated water! I want to see the sharks!" Chloe squealed while walking into the girls' restroom.

Max could feel Chloe's pulse race as the she was led along, Chloe's excitable mood becoming contagious. Both giggling, Max and Chloe started to strip down to their underwear while splashing water from the edge of the pool at each other. Leaving Chloe to her own devices at poolside, Max went into the pool area's main office and flipped the underwater lights on. Hearing a splash, Max peeked from around the doorway to see Chloe surfacing from under the water. Looking back in the office, Max wanted to do something that would show Chloe that she could relax. Seeing the office chair, Max's face lit up as an idea crossed her mind.

Chloe heard Max shout "Get clear!" before she heard what accompanied it. Watching the doorway to the room Max had disappeared to, Chloe's eyes widened as Max came flying out of the doorway riding an office chair like a skateboard. Screaming in delight, Chloe ducked out of the way as Max tilted the chair up when she reached the pool's edge. Max felt a genuine sensation of giddiness as the chair flew a few feet in the air before both herself and said chair crashed into the heated water of the Blackwell pool. Looking up from the bottom of the pool, Max could see Chloe sticking her head into the water to look down at Max. Exchanging looks of absolute glee, Max grabbed the back rest of the chair and swam up to the water's surface.

"Watch out!" Max hollered at Chloe as she tossed the chair out of the pool, the office furniture landing with a clatter. Max cringed as two of the wheels flew off from the impact, looking at Chloe in embarrassment as the other girl pouted at her.

"Awww, I wanted to try that! That was pretty fucking epic, Max," Chloe said, swimming over to float alongside her friend. The next thing Max knew, she was being dunked by Chloe as the girl grabbed her by the head and pushed down as hard as she could. _Agh, fuck! Two can play at that game, Chloe Price!_

Grabbing one of Chloe's legs while still being held down by her, Max pulled down sharply enough that Chloe shot down into the water. Floating underwater alongside Max, Chloe was able to gurgle "You fucking brat" before Max wrapped her arms over Chloe's neck. Knowing that Chloe would eventually need to breathe, Max felt arms wrap around her waist as Chloe leaned in to kiss her. The kiss felt like a vacuum, the chlorinated water of the pool unable to breach the contact between the two girls as they slipped their tongues into each others' mouths. Holding the kiss for a moment, Max pulled at Chloe as she let herself sink down to the bottom of the pool. Pushing off from the pool's floor, Max sprung out of the pool in a graceful leap as she landed poolside with Chloe still kissing her.

"That," Chloe gasped as she finally broke the kiss, a smirk forming on Max's face as Chloe smiled while catching her breath, "That...was incredible. You are incredible."

"I am pretty awesome, huh?" Max said with a smile that scrunched her nose, kissing Chloe on the cheek. Max was about to jump back into the pool when she felt Chloe grab her by the arm. "Uh, Chloe? Chloe, what's wrong?"

"I mean it, Max. You're incredible," Chloe said, looking at Max with a serious expression as she brushed wet hair out of Max's face, "It's incredible you're back, it's incredible you're here, and the most incredible thing is that you're here with me. I...I know I pull a fair amount of stupid shit...and I don't take a lot of things seriously..."

"Che..." Max started to say only to Chloe hush her with by placing a finger on Max's lips.

"Please, Max. Let me finish. I know I'm a huge dork, that I get myself into trouble more than I get myself out. You didn't just save my life at the junkyard and here at Blackwell. You brought parts of me back that I thought were dead. I'm _happy_ , Max. You...you brought back my happiness," Chloe finished, looking away in embarrassment as she began to sniffle.

Max gently took the taller girl into her arms and held her as Chloe cried her happy tears. A mixture of sobs and laughs, Chloe shook softly as Max held her, both girls now crying. Feeling Chloe stir after a couple minutes, Max slowly pulled the other girl back so that they were facing each other.

"What is it?" Max asked, seeing the look of determination on Chloe's face.

"...No matter what, Max. No matter what, we stay together. I don't mean being attached at the hip twenty-four hours a day. I mean _us_. We stay together. I don't think I could stand to lose you again," Chloe said, leaning her forehead onto Max's. Both girls closed their eyes, Max tearing up blood as the warmth of Chloe's words and the heat of her body made Max feel happier than she had been in years.

"Chloe, if I ever have to leave you will be right by my side. No matter what," Max said, trying to reassure the vulnerable Chloe.

"Forever, Max."

"Forever."

Sitting on the edge of the pool, Max and Chloe kicked at each other as their legs hung over into the water. Chloe just looked straight ahead with a content look on her face while Max laid back against the concrete floor. Their exchange of words from a few moments ago still hung over them as the weight of promises and affection carried both girls into their respective imaginations. For Max, she saw herself showing Chloe the entire world. _The Sistine Chapel at night. The Louvre. Shinjuku Ni-chome in Tokyo. London. I will take you everywhere, Chloe, and show you the beating heart of the world. I will take your years of pain and wrap them up in new memories, new adventures. I promise, Che._

"What are you going to do about Nathan?" Chloe asked, breaking the silence as she slowly leaned back to join Max on the concrete. "Sorry to bring it up, but he kinda saw you get shot. Up close."

"Oh _crap_ ," Max thought as she smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand, "What the hell _am_ I going to do? I have to be back here tomorrow to discuss my experience with the Everyday Heroes contest. I'm bound to run into him _Crap_."

"You seriously haven't thought of this, dude?" Chloe scooted herself over so that she was lying right beside Max, slipping her arm around Max's and taking the now-anxious girl's free hand in her own.

"Ugh, no. I've been preoccupied with getting shot and recovering my strength. Also...there's been this girl..." Max said, looking up at the ceiling, smiling, "She's pretty amazing. Kind-of a pain in the ass sometimes, but I know she means well."

"Oh? Who is she, this mysterious girl that has captured your heart? Whose ass do I have to kick?" Chloe asked, a knowing smile across her face.

"Blue hair, tall. Has a tattoo. Says 'Hella' a lot. Like, _a lot_ ," Max says in an innocent voice, turning her head to see Chloe watching her. Getting a gentle kiss on the cheek from her, Max quickly turns her head back up to the ceiling. _Vulnerable, loving Chloe is definitely going to take some getting used to. Is it bad I would like a smart-ass remark, a dorky joke or reference?_

"Sounds like trouble."

"The worst kind, but also the best. Still, she's a pretty big dork."

"Good thing she has such a fucking nerd like you to balance her out, then," Chloe whispered in Max's ear before gently biting on it.

Max shivered from the cooling water on her skin, but more so from the urge to pounce on Chloe right then and there. Keeping herself in check, with no small amount of disappointment, Max stood up and held out her hands to Chloe as she helped her up. Looking at their piles of clothes, Max grimaced at the thought of such an overpowering stench of chlorine carrying over into her dry clothes. Looking around, as though to make sure the only other person in the pool was Chloe, Max peeled off her soaking wet bra and panties, dropping them at her feet. Seeing Chloe blush in surprise and look away, Max changed back into her clothes. Snapping her jeans up, Max let out a surprised cry as Chloe yanked on the waistband of her jeans. Max felt Chloe's drying body inches away from her own and the ache was almost unbearable. Looking down, Max watched with curiosity as Chloe finished dressing Max, then looked up to see Chloe's patented smirk plastered on her face.

"If it weren't for you being room temperature, I'd swear you were so fucking hot right now," Chloe said.

"I'm not going to take your bait, Che," Max said, rolling her eyes.

"Awww, but it was funny! Boo, poor widdle Max with her widdle fangs getting flustered by widdle jokes! Too bad, so sad-" Chloe countered only to yelp as Max hoisted Chloe over her shoulder and began to walk toward the pool. "I was joking, Max, joking! Fuck, don't drop me! I'm a fragile little flower, goddamnit!"

Max nearly dropped Chloe from the outburst of laughter at Chloe calling herself a "fragile little flower". Setting Chloe down at the pool's edge, Max bit her lip as she fought to stop laughing.

"Ohhh, you are _never_ going to live that down. I promise you that, too," Max said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Seeing Chloe huff and turn her head to the side, Max busted up again. "You're only making it worse!"

Her face almost entirely red, Chloe grabbed one of Max's hands and dragged her all the way to the truck without saying another word, Max giggling throughout.

Max's throat was sore from the laughing when Chloe pulled up to her building. Looking over at Chloe in confusion, Max rested a hand on Chloe's leg.

"Are you _actually_ mad?" Max asked in an incredulous tone.

"What? No. Just...just can't fucking believe I said that. I really am going to hella regret that, aren't I?" Chloe asked, looking over at Max with a pained expression.

"Oh, it will go down in history, recorded for all the ages," Max said in reply, "But it was also very cute."

"Oh, shut up! Bratty...batty...brat!"

Max grinned and turned Chloe's head to look her in the face, Chloe's look of irritation melting as their eyes met. Max and Chloe held each others' gaze for what seemed like forever to them before they both leaned forward and kissed. Not lusting, not hungry, just a sweet kiss between two people who realized how much they truly loved each other. Pulling back, Max leaned her forehead against Chloe's and kissed the other girl on the nose.

"You want to meet me at Blackwell tomorrow? Or, maybe for something to eat before?"

"We could totally make pancakes at my house," Chloe said, smiling, "But...I'll pass on Blackwell."

"Of course. My bad," Max said. _Idiot, of course she won't come with you. She was chased off the campus by some gun-toting little shit. Wowsers, a shit I'm going to have to deal with tomorrow. And that girl Victoria. Ugh._

"Well. This is goodnight, then," Max said as she opened the door and stepped out of the truck, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yep," Chloe replied, starting her truck back up.

"...I love you, Che," Max said, and gave Chloe a look when the other girl didn't reply, "I _love_ you, Chloe."

"...Love you, too," Chloe muttered, her vulnerability once again masked by toughness.

Max watched Chloe's truck until it went around the corner towards her house, then walked to the back of the building where the door to her apartment was. Taking two steps at a time, Max went to unlock the door when she saw that the doorknob was broken. Her eyes narrowing, Max gently pushed the door open as the smell of blood permeated the air inside. Tip-toeing down the hallway, Max peeked around the corner and saw the jugs from her fridge scattered about the kitchen area, emptied. Tilting her head, Max sniffed at the air and caught two scents almost entirely foreign to her. _Almost_ entirely, because all the vampires Max has met have something similar about the way they smell.

Max frantically opened the fridge and checked the contents. All her blood supply was gone. _Gone, but not used to feed on. I can smell it in the drain. They_ dumped _my supply, whoever they are. Wowsers, such childish bullshit!_ Max anxiously backpedaled from the kitchen, turning in mid-stride to her bedroom. Opening a drawer in one of the bedside tables, Max removed the few contents and carefully popped the false bottom. Pulling out the single IV bag of blood that she had secreted away in an airtight container, Max hesitated. She hated drinking human blood, absolutely hated it. She hated how it made her feel, how it made her act. _I tease Chloe about the pot, but I have my own cravings. I hate this shit...but I might need it. Tonight, at least._ Popping her fangs, Max sunk her teeth into the bag and sucked the contents out. Slow sips at first, Max's intake increased as the effects of human blood began to take hold on her.

Squeezing the bag over her head, Max opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue to catch the few remaining drops. Beyond the violet Chloe had associated with her vampirism, Max's eyes were pitch black as though the pupils took over the entirety of her sight. Sniffing the air again, Max caught the scent of her intruders almost immediately with her heightened senses amplified by the human blood and ran out the apartment without bothering to close the door. Careful to avoid the citizens of Arcadia Bay, Max sprinted through the darkened alleys and down empty streets towards the source of the scent: the junkyard.

Max stood where the dirt road led into the junkyard, now panting as the human blood began to take full effect. The anger at her home being violated turned into a seething rage, the idea of her intruders starving her out made her cold. _Did you think I would be weak? Did you think to starve me, to make me frail?_ Max thought as the blood kicked in completely, her mind becoming a reddened haze as she heard footfalls from up ahead. Looking into the junkyard with her two black pools for eyes, Max saw two sets of glowing eyes look back from the shadows. Her intruders were twins, a boy and a girl about her age, dressed in plain clothes. Whereas Max's eyes held the effect of human blood in her system, the others flinched reflexively with their violet irises, not expecting her to arrive at full strength.

Without saying a word, Max began to run towards them. First a jog, then a sprint, Max let her body collide with the boy as the girl leaped out of the way. Max felt the crunch of the boy's left arm shattering as he was slammed into and _through_ the blue boat left behind by its former owner, a person-sized hole now in the forward hull. Max howled as she felt sharpened nails rake at her back multiple times, shredding cloth and flesh.

Max spun on the balls of her feet, swinging her fist out and backhanding the girl so hard she flew against an antique fridge. Max began to stalk towards her dazed opponent, the girl struggling to get up as she tried to set her broken jaw, and felt a sharp pain lance through her as a piece of iron rebar pierced her right shoulder, the wound smoking as the flesh and metal connected. With gritted teeth, Max kicked her leg back and connected with her second assailant's midsection, hearing and "Oof!" in response. Grabbing the rebar with her bare left hand, Max grimaced in pain as she began to pull out the deadly metal.

Her hand and shoulder burned as the contact with the iron continued for a moment, before Max flung the freed rebar to the ground. Her shoulder rapidly knitting back together thanks to the human blood, Max kicked the rebar up with her foot and swung it like a baseball bat as she caught it in mid-air. Connecting with the boy twin's skull, Max grinned maliciously as she heard a hiss and a crunch in reply. Ripping off a sleeve from the boy's shirt, Max wrapped the fabric into a makeshift handle and felt her hand began to heal as she gripped the rebar by the fabric-covered end.

Walking over to the girl twin, who was just getting back to her feet, Max pushed the girl onto the hood of a wrecked car and plunged the rebar into the girl's chest. Missing the heart intentionally, Max listened as the girl shrieked in pain. Not missing a beat, Max pushed the rebar a little further so that the rebar held the young vampire onthe hood of the car and bent the side of the rebar she was holding so that it was pinning the girl down.

"Be right back," Max said, wincing from the pain she still felt at having been stabbed with the iron herself.

Walking over to the boy, who was still somehow conscious, Max punched him in the face repeatedly until she heard the horn of an approaching train. Her coal black eyes gleaming with malice, Max grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt and began to drag him toward the tracks. Hiding herself and her former assailant along a side of the boat, Max waited for the train's engine car to speed past. Dragging the boy over so that they were standing next to the moving train, Max hoisted the boy up so that his face was inches away from the speeding vehicle.

"Sorry not sorry," Max said simply, pushing the boy's face into the train. The human blood filled Max with a grim satisfaction towards as the skull almost immediately shattered from the speed and impact of the train as car after car dragged at the boy's face. Feeling the decapitated body twitching, Max dropped the carcass and started to head back toward the girl, who by then was whining as she watched the events with her now-dead brother unfold.

"P-please...we were just passing through...we didn't mean any-," the girl implored, begging for her life.

"Shhh, shhh. It's all right, you can save me the lies," Max cooed as she brushed a finger against the girl's cheek, "You know, I really want to make my being back home work. I have potential friends here, a job I'm good at, and someone I love _deeply_. I don't have room for you, though."

"I-I-I won't tell you a-a-anything," the girl whined as Max began to straighten out the rebar.

"I know you won't. That's not why I'm straightening this out," Max explained, pausing to look at the girl's pained, confused face, "Oh. You think I'm going to torture you. No, no. You did see your...brother, right? Did you see him die? That was quick, what I did. I won't be that way with you, nope. But first, let me help you with that stutter. I have one too, sometimes, so I know how that must feel."

The young vampire screamed one final time as Max wrenched the rebar out in a single pull only to slam it through the girl's mouth, spraying Max in the face with blood.

 **Author's Note - I really wanted to show in this chapter the contrasting elements of Max's personality, how being around Chloe restores Max's human qualities while her new attempt at a life being invaded by elements of her past (which will be revealed, albeit slowly and in pieces) brings out her darker side, the side that is nurtured by her vampiric state.**

 **Final note - I would really appreciate if you would leave me a review to let me know how I'm doing. I'm not asking for some paragraph-long submission, and feedback is always welcome.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Into The Light, named after a single by In This Moment**

 **2011**

The French countryside was even more peaceful at night. At least, that's what Max thought...on top of a lot of things. Her phone and earbuds in her pocket, a bottle of wine in her lap, Max laid back and watched the stars shimmer in the blackness of the evening sky. A momentary reprieve from moving place to place, Max still didn't know why Henri had brought her to France. Part of her didn't care, though, choosing to take the moments of peace she got for all they were worth.

Lifting up the dusty bottle, Max took a long drink of the contents. A mixture of blood from a variety of animals, it was the only blood she could stomach without feeling nauseated for hours afterward. A single mouthful enough to keep her hunger satisfied, Max re-corked the bottle and set it back in her lap as she licked her lips. Her refusal to drink human blood was one of the reasons they weren't in Paris anymore, Henri had looked at her with revulsion when Max started to contemplate eating rats and pets. Looking back at the small cottage down the hill, Max wondered with deep curiosity why Henri had brought her out to the middle of nowhere. _Is my not drinking human blood that serious an offense?_

Standing up, Max sniffed at the air and inhaled the crisp chill that swept up in the breeze. A scent carried by the wind, Max turned in the direction of the new smell and quickly looked to the south of where she was and saw a few small shapes crossing the valley bellow. _Stray farm animals? No,_ Max thought as she sniffed the air again, _Something...something wild._ Nervously glancing back at the cottage, Max shot another glance down the valley before slumping her shoulders. Picking up her bottle, Max began to trudge down the hill toward the cottage, a late-night snack no longer in the cards. Quickly within earshot of the cottage, Max paused as she picked up on a voice aside from Henri's in the small country home.

"-can not stay. You should not have traveled with her. You know how we do things!" the foreign voice said in an edged tone.

"It is not like it was consciously done, for fuck's sake! She was in the waking fever, and the boy was incompetent!" Max's face screwed up in an expression of confusion and anxiety. She had never heard Henri talk with such a pleading tone before.

"It is your life or hers, my friend. We do _not_ kill our own without just cause! A life for a life!"

"What greater cause is there than being turned without intention?!" Max flinched as she heard something inside the cottage break.

"I tell you again, it is her life or your own. You should have left her in America. Now she will be hunted down, regardless if you are with her or not. What is her name? I know she is here, somewhere. The air is thick with the smell of a newly born."

"I...may not interfere with you," Henri said, and Max felt a weight form in her stomach, "But I do not have to aid you, either. You want her name, you'll have to get it from her yourself."

Max didn't wait for another word to follow. Clutching the bottle in her hand, Max did the only thing she could think of.

She ran.

 **2013**

Max didn't get a chance to sleep anytime soon, having dealt with the intruders only to hunt for the resupplying of her blood. Returning briefly to her apartment, Max cursed at herself as she saw the door still open from when she had ran out of the apartment in a fury. The human blood's greater effects gone, Max was jittery but returned to herself. When she had come out of the fugue-like rage and seen the remnants of her handiwork, she had retched for what felt like an hour. Gently touching the scar on her hand and the scar on her shoulder, Max had slowly pieced together what she had done and what had been done to her. _I gave better than I received, and they might have gone after Chloe_ , Max had thought in the junkyard as she tried to rationalize her actions. _Every kill is another reason to hunt me further. These two...they found me by dumb luck, that much was certain. I don't think Henri gave anyone my name, but I will never be able to be sure._

"Goddamnit, Henri. Why couldn't you have just left me alone?" Max had cried, kneeling among the wreckage of the junkyard as the crusted blood from her tears dried further. Max had sobbed in silence for a moment before returning to her apartment for the empty jugs.

Placing the jugs in a large, tarp-like bag, Max had sprinted out to where she was miles away. Taking each jug one at a time, Max had used a cord to tie the jug around her waist and proceeded to hunt every fair-sized wild animal she could find. Bobcat, wolf, fox, bear; Max was desperate and soon she would be hungry, the energy she'd gained from the human blood dissipating from her system quickly. For hours she had hunted, gathered, and drained. The heartbeats of the animals faded in Max's ears as she had held the mouth of each jug to an animal for a moment before rapidly switching. _I may be desperate, but I still can't drink any of this blood straight-up. If I don't mix it somewhat, I'll be gagging with every mouthful_ , Max thought to herself as she wiped some of the blood spray from her face.

Bloody and burdened by the weight of her refilled blood supply, Max had half-sprinted back, staggering every so often as exhaustion kicked in. Finally making it back to her apartment, Max closed the door and braced it as temporary measure while unloading her cargo. Leaning back from the kitchen to get a look at the clock, Max had let out a moan of exhaustion and frustration at the realization that it would be dawn soon. _I'm_ so _tired_ , _I could just collapse here on the floor and not even care._ Max chuckled morbidly at the thought of Chloe making her way inside to see Max soaked in blood on the floor. _Fuck, I hate this so goddamn much. This crap, the fighting and the killing, it isn't me. I mean, I know that it is for survival, but that I'm not like others I've met. I don't enjoy it_ , _not_ typically _._ Wincing at the memory of the twins from the junkyard, Max felt a pang of remorse for how she had acted. The human blood brought out the worst in her when it came to her defensiveness, and a bloody-faced Chloe had remained ever-present in her mind once she had finished the human blood. _Preys on your fears. Makes you hate, makes you crave. Makes me sick. Human blood. Ew._

Max showered in silence, realizing as she climbed out that she was going to have to clean it later.

"Unless I _want_ to answer Chloe's inevitable 'Hey, why do you have bloodstains in your bathtub?'. Pass, definite pass," Max said to herself as she climbed into her bed. Praying that Chloe slept in, Max passed out halfway on the bed with her legs dangling off from the knees down. Max dreamed in a red haze, images of Chloe and blood swirling from her head, one last game courtesy of the human blood she had ingested. She watched Chloe die in a dozen different ways, and in each one she was unable to save her. _Nathan's gun? Dead. Frank's knife? Dead. Something with a train? Dead._ _Dying and dead and I'm alone again as I'm swallowed up in the shadows, pawing at me. Let me die, let me die, I'm so lonely._

Max woke up with a start on the tail end of her nightmare, the lasting thought of _I'm so lonely_ trailing after her consciousness. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, Max dragged herself to the kitchen and pulled a canned coffee drink out of the fridge. _I forgot to buy a coffee grinder. Crap. I'll do it today, while I'm out with Chloe._ Max popped open the cold can and down the entire drink in a couple gulps, tossing the can into the trash before grabbing another and repeating the process. Taking her metal sports bottle out of the fridge, Max appreciated her foresight from last night at making sure to fill the bottle up before taking a shower. Max opened the bottle up and, much like the coffee, drained the bottle of its contents with a greediness that left little to the imagination. Licking the rim of the bottle, Max set the bottle in the fridge and went to her bedroom to check her phone.

 **Chloe: Max, u up?**

 **Max: Just recently. Long night.**

 **Chloe: Story time?**

 **Max: Blood and guts and blah**

 **Chloe: ok fine don't tell me**

 **Chloe: up but not at 'em**

 **Chloe: come on over, we'll cook 2gether once I'm done baking**

 **Chloe: ily**

 **Max: c u soon 3**

Tossing the phone onto the bed, Max searched through her wardrobe for something that was both pleasant and comfortable. Settling on blue jeans with a green and black hoodie, Max pulled on a plain white t-shirt as she got dressed with the rest of her ensemble for the day. Deciding to go further with the comfort, Max slipped on an old pair of Chuck Taylor sneakers and laid in bed for a moment. She thought her heart might start to beat of its own accord as she thought of her time in Blackwell's pool with Chloe from last night. Chloe had bared herself to Max for a moment, her guard completely down. The memory of Chloe's words made Max smile, but the remainder of her evening made her feel dirty and exhausted. _When, not if, this all catches up with me...I don't know what I'll do if Chloe gets hurt..._

Slowly sitting up, Max gathered her things. Loading the camera bag with her Polaroid, a refilled sports bottle and flask, and a notebook with pens, Max walked out her apartment door and paused at the door knob. _Need to replace that, too. Great start to your day, Max Caulfield, except you only got a couple hours sleep so yesterday bled into today which makes it...ugh, I-I don't care. Just put your feet forward and go, I swear to Dog. Maybe Chloe will let me sleep some. Pfff, yeah. Right._

Max took the bus to Chloe's house, deciding that walking would take to long and she felt to exhausted to ride her Vespa there. The bus was nearly empty when she got in, the off-peak morning hours showing the dregs of the early rush. An elderly couple looked up when she walked on, whispered something to each other, then resumed whatever it was Max thought they were doing. Max popped her neck, slowly pivoting her head and neck, and took a drink from her sports bottle. Making sure the cap was on tight, Max returned the bottle to her bag and put on her earbuds. Flipping through her music folder, Max found "Something Good" by alt-J and began to hum along to the lyrics as she watched Arcadia Bay slowly crawl by as the bus moved along its route towards her stop.

Max wished that she could just enjoy the peacefulness she felt during these quiet moments, sitting on the bus and as it lumbered through the small coastal town. Closing her eyes, Max accidentally nodded off. A dreamless sleep, Max's mind was enveloped in the blankness of her unconsciousness as she sat in the bus. Max faintly felt the touch of something against her shoulder. Lazily opening one eye, Max looked up from her seat to see Chloe looking down at her. Feeling embarrassed at having fallen asleep on the bus, Max sheepishly looked away as Chloe chuckled at her groggy friend.

"Dude, you're like a fucking zombie. Come on," Chloe said, helping Max up from her seat on the bus. Slinging one of Max's arms over her shoulder, Chloe half-carried the half-asleep Max from the bus stop to her house as Max's eyelids drooped and her stomach growled. "Have you gotten _any_ sleep, Max? You look hella wiped."

"Apartment...broken into...blood...had to hunt to...resupply," Max uttered, the fog of her drowsiness overcoming her conscious need to keep Chloe in the dark about what happened last night.

"Oh my god, Max! Are you alright? Who was it?" Chloe asked, her voice raised in astonishment and concern, "Were you hurt?"

"...Yes," Max said, fighting the exhaustion as she slowly began to realize what she was saying, "...s'nothing...don't worry, Che..."

"Hell yes, I'm going to worry! Come on. Breakfast and then rest, okay?"

"Mmmm...," Max replied, leaning her face into Chloe's neck in an attempt to nuzzle the taller girl, resulting in both of them nearly falling on their faces as they were still walking.

After a few near-falls, Chloe finally managed to get an exhausted Max into her house. Sitting Max down at the dining table, Chloe went through Max's bag as the other girl's stomach growled again. Pulling out the metal bottle she had seen numerous times, Chloe slowly took off the cap and tilted the mouth of the container to Max's lips.

"Ugh, man. This stuff reeks," Chloe said, catching a whiff of the contents, "You drink this every day? Fucking gross, man. Hope you have a goddamn lifetime supply of gum, dude, or I will never kiss you again."

Max made a small gurgling noise as she woke up from her groggy state to find a mouthful of blood being slowly forced into her. Almost coughing, Max gingerly took the bottle out of Chloe's hands and downed half the contents. Setting the bottle down on the table, Max sat for a moment as she regained her senses. Blinking slowly, Max looked around while Chloe sat across from her at the table.

"Are you okay, Maxaroni? You said you got hurt," Chloe said, her face pained with concern over Max.

"Unh, I've been better," Max said, realizing that she would have to divulge _something_. _Keeping my mouth shut will only make Chloe suspicious. Besides, she deserves to know some things_ , "Some...other vampires came through Arcadia Bay last night. I had to deal with them."

Chloe's eyes widened as the thought of other vampires coming to town enlivened her imagination.

"Other vampires?! Holy shit!" Chloe said before clamping her mouth shut, seeing Max wince from the volume at which Chloe had exclaimed her surprise, "Uh, sorry. Seriously, though...wait, 'deal with them'? What, like you killed them or something?" Chloe said with a snicker. Chloe's face changed to a mask of shock as she realized Max had not answered her question.

"Holy shit...," Chloe said, no louder than a whisper.

"It's not exactly something I enjoy, Chloe," Max said, now alert, regretting that she hadn't just stayed home and called Chloe to cancel this morning, "It was either them or-"

Chloe abruptly got up, walked over to stand next to the still-sitting Max, and just stared at her for a moment. Max wondered what was going through her head, what Chloe was thinking, and felt an immense amount of anxiety as the image of Chloe throwing her out flashed across her mind. Max felt herself begin to sob at the thought of Chloe dumping her, leaving her to be alone again, and felt a small amount of surprise as she was pulled out of her depressing thoughts by Chloe's arms wrapping around her. Taking a hold of one of the arms with a slightly shaking hand, Max felt tears begin to trickle down her cheek, the saltiness of clear tears dripping down to her lips as Chloe slowly rocked her.

"I-I hate it. I hate what I am, I hate all of it. I just wanted to come back to you, to be safe here. But it'll never leave me alone, Che, it'll never stop," Max croaked, her throat dry from the sobbing.

"Shh, sweetie. Shh. I'm here. You're here. Just calm down, yeah? You're scaring the shit out of me, Max," Chloe said as she continued to rock Max for a moment before pulling back. Chloe looked at her friend with a deep concern, the usual toughness replaced with a gentleness Max had not seen since she was a child. _"_ Come on, Max, we can make some pancakes and you can tell me whatever it is you feel comfortable telling me. I already promised you forever, and if some of it is too much for me, we can deal. Together."

Max slowly climbed out of the chair as Chloe gently led her to the kitchen. A bag of chocolate chips sat next to an already prepared bowl of pancake batter, and Chloe looked at her with a grin, gesturing to the chocolate pieces.

"I remember how much you liked to add the chocolate, so I saved that part for you," Chloe said, sliding over so that Max could stand next to the counter, "I'll go get one of Joyce's nice skillets while you mix."

Watching Chloe walk toward the garage, Max shuddered in relief as the weight of the past three years began to lift from her. _Even a little helps, and I_ need _her to understand so bad. I still can't believe she just took what I said in so easily. Wowsers._ Hearing Chloe's footsteps as she returned, Max poured half the bag of chocolate chips into the pancake batter and began to slowly stir the batter with a spoon laying next to the bowl. Max saw Chloe watch her out of the corner of her eye.

"You're scared of me now, aren't you?" Max asked, pained, not looking at Chloe.

"More like worried and anxious. I figured that everything can't be sweet acrobatics and super-strength...and a degree of nookie that cannot be matched by anyone on the planet...but I didn't expect you to open up so easily," Chloe said as she laid the skillet on the stove top, dropping a few spoonfuls of butter as the skillet began to heat up.

"You'll have to be in charge of the skillet, Che," Max said with a sniffle as she caught a look at the kitchenware, "I...I can't use that."

"What? Why, you lose your cooking skills when you became a vampire? I know you eat the undead equivalent of cold TV dinners, but-"

"Heh, no, it's not that. The skillet...I can't touch it. It's iron. Iron, well, it hurts my kind," Max reluctantly offered. _Baby steps, Max. Baby steps._

"No shit?" Chloe said with her eyebrows raised.

"No shit."

Max watched as Chloe took the snippet of information in and shrugged. Taking the bowl from Max, Chloe poured the first pancake into the skillet, licking her lips as the batter immediately began to sizzle around the edges.

"Dude, I'm hella starved. Maybe I'll find some iron plates and iron forks, make it so that I get all these lovelies to myself...," Chloe said, smirking as she watched Max from the corner of her eye.

"Not funny, Chloe," Max said, leaning against the counter, "Maybe I won't treat you to anymore supercharged piggyback rides or amazeballs human-vampire sex."

"Maybe I will buy an iron chastity belt and you'll never get the opportunity to refuse me?"

"You? Chastity?" Max asked incredulously, "Oh, that's right. You're a 'fragile flower'."

Chloe groaned and rolled her eyes as she flipped the pancake over.

"I'm never going to live that down," Chloe said with a small amount of irritation.

"You're really not," Max cooed as she stood on her tip-toes to give Chloe a kiss on the cheek, "I'll make some coffee while you continue with your kitchen wizardry."

"Accio fucking pancakes!" Chloe replied, waving the spatula in her hand with a flourish.

"Harry Potter? Dork," Max said as she filled the coffee pot with water.

"Hippie.

"Nerd."

"No, that's you, my little fanganista," Chloe said sweetly, leaning over to kiss Max before focusing her attention on the making of pancakes.

Max remained quiet throughout their preparation of breakfast, looking over occasionally to see the look on Chloe's face. _She's so calm. How is she so calm? I'm the vampire and_ I'm _not calm about this._ Max took in the smell of the coffee as the pot slowly filled. Coffee of any kind was good to Max. Pouring two cups, Max sat one on the side of the stove top that wasn't being used for their aptly-titled "breakfast-making extravaganza". _She's really a dork. Really._

"I forget. Do you take anything in your coffee?" Max asked as she opened the fridge to see if there was any creamer.

"Uh, just sugar, but I can get that. Go. Sit. The time draws near," Chloe said, poking Max with the spatula until the smaller girl retreated to the dining table.

Arriving with two plates of chocolate-laden pancakes, Max wished that her mouth still watered at the sight of food. Chloe walked back over to the kitchen, remembering her coffee, and grabbed a bottle of maple syrup.

"We're all out of blood here, so you'll just have to make due with our syrup," Chloe said, licking her lips as she doused her pancakes in maple syrup.

"Ugh, gross!" Max said, crinkling the bridge of her nose in disgust at the idea of blood-covered food, "I'm a vampire, not a goddamn horror movie." Max thought for a second, trying to remember something...

"Wait! I remember now! You're totally scared of horror movies!" Max exclaimed, slapping the table at the revelation.

"Which is ironic because I'm dating one," Chloe shot back, her expression a mix of irritation and amusement.

"Oh, _ha_. I remember, though. That year I wanted to scare you so for Halloween I went as the girl from _The Ring_ -"

"Dude, stop. Seriously," Chloe said, Max relishing Chloe shuddering as the memory returned, "Ugh, I can't stand it when you do that!"

"Coming from the girl who made me watch _Jaws_ ," Max retorted.

Both girls chuckling, Max playfully kicked her foot against Chloe's as they began to tear at their breakfast. It was the first time in months that Max felt like she could eat an entire meal. The chocolate and pancake blending together to make her smile throughout the entire breakfast, Max looked over as Chloe would sneak glances towards Max's plate of pancakes.

"Not today," Max said, wrapping her arm around her plate like they were in prison, "Just eat yours."

"Boo, you don't actually need food boooooo," Chloe said with an exaggerated pout before snickering as she began to mop up the syrup with the few remaining pieces of pancake.

Max finished her pancakes a few minutes after Chloe, the other girl moving back to the kitchen to put the dirty dishes in the sink. As Max got up with her own plate, both girls heard the door open. Thinking it was Joyce for a moment, Max looked through the kitchen doorway to see David Madsen looking back at her. First confused, then irritated, David's expressions brought a lump of anxiety into Max's chest as the head of Blackwell Academy's security walked past her into the kitchen. Pouring his own cup of coffee, David observed the two girls as they began to clean up what little mess they had made.

"Nice breakfast," David said, observing the skillet, bag of pancake mix, and a few chocolate chips scattered on the counter, "Good to see you're taking care of _yourself_ , Chloe."

"Dude, do we really have to do this right now?" Chloe asked with an exasperated sigh, "I've got company and I don't want any-"

"Speaking of your company, I'm not so sure I like the idea of you two being under this roof without supervision," David continued, setting down the coffee as he proceeded to stand in front of Chloe, "I remember what you told me at Blackwell, Chloe. Real cute, trying to get the drop on me in a goddamn school. You talk about how you're an adult, but you still act like a child. You still live here, and you don't even have a job."

"Get off of me!" Chloe yelled as David got into Chloe's face, "You goddamn psycho, with your fucking guns and paranoid bullshit-"

Max grabbed David's open hand by the wrist before it could make contact with Chloe's face, the taller girl's eyes closed as she prepared herself for the blow. _This isn't the first time, is it? You prematurely squeezed your eyes shut the_ second _you said "bullshit", Chloe. Wowsers._ Max relinquished David's hand when he turned his attention to Max. Feeling her skin begin to crawl as the idea of David striking Chloe popped into her head, Max buried her feelings deep and jutted out her chin, a wordless gesture for David to try and hit her. She watched in surprise as David's face made it look like he was considering it, then lowered his hand as he walked back to the counter for his coffee. Chloe stood behind Max, slipping her hand into the smaller girl's as David stared at both of them.

"I think you need to leave, Max," David said, clutching his coffee cup so tightly it looked like it might break.

"I think we both will," Max replied, intertwining her fingers with Chloe's as she backpedaled into the hallway, "I also think you need to leave her alone. Does Joyce know you hit her daughter?"

"I think you need to leave _now_ ," David said, his face turning red at Max's insinuation.

Turning around, Max walked Chloe over to the door. Both girls grabbing their belongings that were by the door, Chloe and Max walked over to Chloe's truck in silence and climbed in. Starting the truck, Chloe took a furtive glance at the house before pulling out of the driveway and heading down the street. A couple blocks further down, Max lurched as Chloe suddenly hit the breaks, tears running down her face.

"You okay?" Max asked, tentatively putting a hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"He ruins _everything_ , Max! Everything! My mom drags him into my life and he does nothing but tear into me! I'm sure you have come to the conclusion that his hand raised at me is not a one-time-only occurrence. His anger issues give _me_ anger issues! Fuck, I hate this place! Fuck everybody!" Chloe screamed as she gassed the truck's engine.

"Chloe, calm down!" Max said, bracing herself against the dash as Chloe sped down towards the business area of Arcadia Bay. Putting a hand on Chloe's leg, Max looked at Chloe intensely, " _Slow down_ , Che."

Breaking into a sob, Chloe slowed the truck down and pulled over onto the side of the road. Max turned the ignition off and pocketed the truck keys as she scooted over to hold Chloe. _It never occurred to me that even her home wasn't a safe place for her anymore. I saw that David had a temper when we were at Blackwell, but I didn't know it was_ that _bad._ Max thought of when William was alive, the light in the man's eyes as he would play with Chloe and Max in the backyard. The cookouts, the family dinners with Max's parents, the weekends and summers where Max would disappear with Chloe on their adventures - the memories were all scarred by David's presence in Chloe's house. Max gripped Chloe a little tighter, careful to not squeeze her, and leaned her head on Chloe's shoulder as Chloe continued to cry.

"F-fuck him," Chloe said between sniffing, "Fuck him and fuck my mom for marrying him. Fuck this town for letting him come into my _home_ , Max. Fuck everything."

"...Even me?" Max asked cautiously, feeling the tension come off of Chloe in waves.

"...No. Not you. But I don't know how much longer I can live there, Max. It's like a goddamn cycle. Yell, argue, stomp, stare, hit, repeat. I tell my mom, and she jumps at David about it, but it still happens. Over and over. I just want it to end," Chloe said, the enjoyment of their breakfast overwhelmed by the presence of her step-dad.

"You want to stay with me tonight?" Max asked, softly kissing Chloe's wet cheek. When Chloe responded with a sullen-faced nod, Max kissed her cheek again and lightly nuzzled Chloe's neck in affection.

"We'll need to stop by the supermarket, and the hardware store. You'll need food, and I need a new doorknob," Max said as she slid back over to the passenger side, "Will you be okay by yourself? I _can_ cancel my session at Blackwell, if you want me to."

"No. That's a job, right? Besides, who will buy me presents?" Chloe asked, feigning a smile at her weak humor, "And I'll be alright, Max. I'm depressed, not regressed into a 5 year old."

"Thank Dog, because I am _terrible_ with kids," Max said, looking over at Chloe to see if she could get a response out of her friend. Seeing Chloe smirk a little, Max smiled warmly at Chloe before buckling her seat belt, "Take no chances."

"I'm that bad a driver?" Chloe said, the tone of her voice regaining its usual wit.

"Only when you try to put the pedal on the floor, Che."

Max bought some frozen pizzas and junk food, "comfort shit" according to Chloe, after Max had dragged Chloe into the hardware store to get a new doorknob. Their small collection of purchases sitting between Max's legs, Chloe made a point to drive slowly to Max's apartment. Max worriedly glanced over at Chloe from time to time as they headed toward her place, Chloe looking back at her from the corner of her eye and giving Max a small smile in reply. _She's broken. I'm broken. We'll be broken together, I guess._ Pulling into the parking lot across from Max's building, Chloe and Max climbed out of the truck and crossed the street to the apartment.

Pushing the door open, Max let Chloe walk past her with the groceries while Max yanked the doorknob out in a single pull, the movement bringing an image of what she had done to the vampiric girl last night to the forefront of her mind. With a shudder, Max tossed the knob over the staircase railing, it landing with a thud on the ground below. Messing around with the new doorknob, Max managed to get the new knob in place after a few attempts. Looking at her handiwork with a small amount of pride, Max closed the door and locked it to make sure the door stayed closed and locked.

"Hey, Max. Do you want some of these chips? You bought me three fucking bags, dude. I don't need to eat _that_ much," Chloe said from further inside the apartment. Sliding off her footwear, Max padded along the hallway and into the living room area. Sitting on the lone chair, Chloe munched away at a bag of jalapeno-flavored chips.

"I'm good. I think I'm going to get some rest before I have to head to Blackwell. If you can pry yourself away from the deliciousness in your hands, you are more than welcome to be my cuddle buddy," Max said with a grin as she began to walk toward the bedroom. Hearing the bag get dropped on the coffee table, Max heard Chloe catch up to her and felt the warmth of Chloe's body as the taller girl wrapped her arms around Max' shoulders. Both girls walking into the bedroom, Max handed Chloe a pair of shorts and a t-shirt while Max just took off her socks and fell onto the bed. Exhausted, but content to have Chloe with her, Max curled up on the bed as Chloe joined her. Facing Chloe, Max gave Chloe an Eskimo kiss and asked her to turn around.

"What, do I have something on my face?" Chloe asked with curiosity as Max gestured for her to turn around.

"No, I just wanna spoon," Max said with a yawn.

"I should be big spoon. I'm taller."

"My bed, my rules. Turn, Price."

Max wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist as the other girl pressed her back into Max's chest. Chloe's heartbeat was like a fire to Max, warm and soothing. The repetition of beats became her lullaby as Max began to drift off.

"Max?" Chloe asked, beginning to sound tired herself.

"Mmm, yeah?" Max asked, half-opening an eye.

"Thank you. I mean it," Chloe said in a serious tone, tilting her head so that she could see the sleepy Max with her peripheral vision.

"I appreciate the thanks, Chloe, but I owe you as much as you think you owe me. You keep me _here_ ," Max said as she stifled another yawn, "You keep me from slipping too far. I've...I've done terrible things, Chloe. To survive, sure, but I would toss the past three years in the garbage if it meant I got to tell you how much you mean to me back when I left."

Max felt Chloe's heartbeat increase and grinned, pressing her face against Chloe's back as the other girl grew quiet. Taking in the smell of Chloe with a sleepy relish, Max rubbed her cheek against Chloe and made a purring sound as she wiggled herself even closer to Chloe. The two girls nodded off into slumber, their sleepy forms intertwined.

Waking up as her phone's alarm went off, Max gently relinquished her hold on Chloe and slipped out of the bed. Selecting her pink black skull shirt and a pair of black jeans, Max was lacing up her boots when two long arms wrapped themselves around her. Grinning, Max finished tying her boots up as Chloe rested her head on Max's shoulder.

"Good afternoon, sleepy smurf," Max said, kissing the drowsy Chloe on her cheek.

"...Smurfs have white hats, nerd," Chloe said as she yawned, "Keep your facts in check, suckface."

"But what are _under_ the hats?" Max asked as she put her hands over Chloe's, feeling the other girl's fingers spread out so as to make room for Max's.

"More hats," Chloe said with a huff as she let Max go and flopped back onto the bed, "Don't go. Stay and give me affection, you butt."

"This butt has a job, and bills to pay. One does not live by animal blood alone, Chloe."

"Fine," Chloe said, pulling the covers back so she could curl up _in_ Max's bed rather than just on it, "Your bed now belongs to me."

"You can have it. It smells like an ashtray."

"Ugh!" Chloe said, pulling the pillow behind her head out to throw at Max. Max ducked as the pillow flew past, knocking down the set of Asian blinds that divided the bedroom area from the living room. Sighing, Max stood up and walked over to set the divider back up. Turning around, Max wagged her finger at Chloe in mock chastisement.

"Don't tear my home apart while I'm gone? And no crazy parties, either! You kids and your drugs and rock music..."

"Wow. Okay, Mom," Chloe said with a snort as she took the returned pillow from Max, and laid it across her head, "I just want to be one of the cool kids!"

"'Adventures in Chloe-sitting' will be continued when I get back. Gonna go back to sleep?" Max asked, moving over to Chloe's occupied side of the bed. Sitting down next to her, Max ran her fingers through Chloe's blue hair, eliciting a grin her friend. "You need to dye your hair again, Che. I mean, if you want it to keep looking blue. Your roots are starting to show."

"Izzit bad?" Chloe replied before finally nodding off.

"Blue and blonde don't really go together that well," Max said with a chuckle as she kissed the sleeping Chloe on the forehead.

Grabbing her camera bag, still packed from earlier today, Max downed the entire sports bottle and refilled it before leaving the apartment. Locking the door behind her, making sure again that the door stayed shut and locked, Max skipped down the stairs to her Vespa, Chloe on her mind as she set off for Blackwell Academy.

Arriving a little earlier than last time, Max stowed her helmet away and pulled the visitor's pass out of her camera bag and clipped it to one of her jean's hip pockets. Rummaging through the notebook, Max spotted the photocopies of the students' Everyday Heroes entries and began to flip through them as she walked through the courtyard. _Oh, this shot with the fireman is so sweet. An_ actual _'Everyday Hero'. Whose is this?_ Max thought as she flipped the copy over, _Oh, the quiet one. Kate Marsh. She's as shy as I am sometimes, but she's very skilled. And sweet. I'll talk to her about the photo after class._

"Max!" a voice called out, Max's head snapping up as she scanned the courtyard for the source.

"Oh! Hey, Dana," Max said, waving at Dana as she made her way over to Max, falling in step alongside the photographer, "Tomorrow. After school. Do you have some ensembles ready?"

"Definitely. I am _so_ excited about this, Max! My first photoshoot from a professional! Ahhh!" Dana squealed as she wrapped Max in a hug.

"Uh, thanks. Here," Max said, breaking out of Dana's hold to hand her a business card, "The number on the bottom is the business line, and my business email is right across from it. If you have any questions before tomorrow, or after, feel free to leave me a message. I promise I will get back to you."

Squealing again as she clutched at the card with both of her hands, Dana flashed Max a huge smile and ran over to Juliet, the other girl looking like she was having a tense discussion with one of the teachers. Shrugging, Max crossed the rest of the courtyard only to get bumped into by a student when she had made it to the steps.

"Sorry, I-," the boy said as he looked over at Max, "Whoa, uh, hi. I'm Warren. Um, are you new here? I haven't seen you before."

"I don't go to school here. I'm Max," Max said as she offered a hand to Warren, "I'm a freelance photographer helping Mr. Jefferson with his class this semester. Everyday Heroes contest winner, 2012."

"Cool," Warren said, shaking Max's hand a little longer than she would've liked, "Are you new to Arcadia Bay? If you want, I could show you around some time. I've got a car-" Warren started to say before Max held up a hand to shush him. _A little too strong there, Don Juan._

"Sorry, Warren. Seat's taken. Unless you feel like dealing with my punk-ass, tough-as-nails girlfriend," Max said with a polite smile.

"Sure, sure. Um, if you change your mind...you know where to find me," Warren said, sheepishly smiling before walking off.

 _'You know where to find me'? Ew. Seriously, do I need to wave a big sign that says I'm gay? Maybe I should have dragged Chloe along, be my boy repellent. I see your shoddy advances and raise you a blue-haired, smart-ass dork that might try to strangle you, haha._ Walking up the steps, Max opened the double doors with a giggle at the thought of what Chloe would do to that poor boy.

Signing in for the class, Max exited the main office only to see David Madsen standing across the hall. Not seeing Max, David's attention was drawn to two boys huddled next to a locker, whispering in hushed tones. Feeling a tap on his shoulder from someone behind him, David turned around with his eyes still trailing the suspicious boys.

"Yeah, what-" David said before feeling a stinging sensation across his face as Max slapped him with enough force to turn his head. Garnering the attention of some of the nearby students, David looked at Max angrily for a moment before seeing the equally angry look on Max's face.

"You going to hit me back, hit me like you hit Chloe?" Max asked in a threatening tone, "What's the matter? Can't do it when there are witnesses? I hit first, so go ahead. _Hit me_."

"What happens in my home is _none_ of your concern. _Max_...you don't know how Chloe is at home, how belligerent and disrespectful she can be. She pushes and pushes-"

"Did you even _try_ to understand where she was coming from? Is she sometimes stubborn? Yeah, she totally is. Can she be argumentative? Absolutely. Chloe and I argue, but I don't hit her. What's your excuse?"

"Max, I don't want to fight with you. I don't want to fight with anyone," David said, easing back from Max as the small girl stood her ground.

"I think Chloe will stay with me for a while, if she wants. I can come by and get some of her clothes and things after I'm done here. But I swear, David, that if you raise your hand to her again-"

"You'll what?" David asked, looking mildly incredulous as Max's eyes narrowed.

"I'll fucking kill you," Max said, her voice cold as David tried to figure out whether she meant it, "I'll feed you that goddamn hand."

Not waiting for a reply, Max whirled around and turned back down into the hall leading to the photography lab. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Max shook her head. _Wowsers, that was close._ Max slowed her step as she saw what looked like a heated argument up ahead between the girl Kate and Mr. Jefferson. _Is she crying?_ Max watched as Kate spun around and began to walk towards her. Standing in her way, Max approached Kate as the other girl looked up to notice her.

"Uh, hi Kate. Are you okay?" Max asked sympathetically, putting a hand on Kate's shoulder.

"Why do you care? You don't even know me," Kate spat back, recoiling from Max's touch.

"You're crying. Why wouldn't I care?"

"...my life is pretty much over. It's Max, right?"

"Yeah. Did something happen? I was hoping to get to talk to you after class. I really like your submission for the contest and wanted to-"

"I'm not going to class, Max. Just...just leave me alone, okay?" Kate said as she shouldered past Max and down the hall. Looking over at Mr. Jefferson, Max looked at him inquisitively only to get an exhausted-looking shrug in reply. Shaking her head, Max continued the short distance down the hall and entered the classroom. Seeing Dana at her desk, Max waved the cheerful-looking girl in greeting as she began to unpack her bag on the desk at the front of the class with Jefferson coming up behind her.

"I'm sorry, Max. I might be a little late, phone call with a publisher," Jefferson said apologetically

"Oh, that's okay. Hey, is everything okay with Kate? She seemed upset and I really wanted to speak with her about the picture she submitted. I think it has a lot of promise. Could be a winning shot," Max said.

"...There's this viral video a student put out of her, making out with a bunch of boys at a party," Jefferson said in a serious tone, "She insists that something was done to her, drugged or something along those lines, but she has no evidence to back it up. She wanted to know if she should go to the police. I'm sorry, I really have to take this."

Watching Jefferson leave, Max turned back to her bag to find Nathan Prescott and Victoria Chase staring at her from the back. Sauntering over, Victoria leaned on the desk Max was using as her workstation with a smirk.

"If it isn't Arcadia's finest, come to grace us with her freaky presence," Victoria said with a sneer.

"Nice to fuck you again, too, Victoria," Max said, not even bothering to look up, "To what do I owe this small amount of torture?"

"My friend Nathan told me that he saw you get shot a couple days ago and we're curious as to how you're still standing. Also, _I_ think you're a total fake with your trendy-looking hipster bullshit."

Max lifted up her shirt to show Victoria her midsection, pale skin smooth and lean. Victoria looked at Max with a quizzical expression.

"Where did I get shot, then?" Max asked, lowering her shirt back down, "Also, when you actually get some published work you can feel free to make your shitty remarks. Until then, take your school-bound ass to your desk and leave me be."

Watching Victoria seethe, Max grinned as the other girl walked away only to feel a slight build-up of anxiety as Nathan Prescott walked towards her.

"I don't know what fucking game you're playing, bitch," Nathan hissed in a hushed voice, "But you don't fuck with me or my friends. _We_ fuck with you, and I _know_ you got shot. I'm gonna figure out whatever the hell it is you're up to with that Price bitch, and you feminazis-"

"Nathan? I...see...you," Max whispered to him, lifting her head up to stare Nathan directly in the face.

"What? What the fuck are you talking about?" Nathan asked with a puzzled expression.

"I. See. You."

Max watched as Nathan's face went through a series of expressions: surprise, anger, dread, and worry. Max just continued to stare at Nathan until the boy broke eye contact and stormed out of the classroom, cussing under his breath. Sighing, Max looked back down and wished for the second time since she came back here that she had brought Chloe with her. Just as Chloe popped into her head, Max's phone went off and she pulled it out of her bag with a grin.

 **Chloe: Did you tell David off?**

 **Max: o he rang?**

 **Chloe: dude, ur a fuking godsend**

 **Max: I kno 3**

 **Chloe: u really ok with me staying here 4 a while?**

 **Max: mi casa es your safe haven**

 **Chloe: I luv it when u get all protective**

 **Max: Max 2 the rescue  
Chloe: marry me**

 **Max: ok**

 **Chloe: whoa whoa whoa j/k**

 **Max: Don't u luuuuv me?**

 **Chloe: get 2 work nerd**

 **Chloe: ily**

Snickering, Max slid her phone into her back pocket and looked out into the hallway for Mr. Jefferson when a student came sprinting in.

"Yo, there's some crazy shit going down at the girls' dorm!" the student had cried out, gesturing out into the hallway. Watching in puzzlement as the students ran out of the room, Max's curiosity got the better of her and she decided to join them.

The breezeway was a river of students as they all ran towards the gate for the dormitory area. Seeing Mr. Jefferson pacing nervously next to the open gate, Max ran over to him.

"What's going on?" Max asked, anxious as students continued to run by.

"Kate is on the roof of the girls' dormitory, Max. I think...I think she's going to jump," Mr. Jefferson said, wiping his sweating palms onto his pants.

Looking at Mr. Jefferson in shock, Max ran through the gate and into the courtyard leading to the girls' dormitory. Max saw some of the students looking in horror, with a scattered few pointing their phones up towards the roof to record the events occuring. _Ugh, Victoria. This is the type of crap that will not win you any credit._ Max saw Juliet holding Dana as both girls were crying in terror.

"What the hell is happening?" Max asked the two girls.

"Someone put up a video-" Juliet started before getting cut off by Dana.

"It's not just the video, Juliet. Victoria and her friends have been giving Kate shit for the video ever since it popped up. I bet one of them actually put the damn thing up, too," Dana said as she wiped at her face.

Looking around, Max's mind raced as she tried to think of something. An idea coming to mind, Max ran back out the gate and through the breezeway to the sidewalk. Running around the campus, Max came to the wall opposite the girls' dormitory. Scaling the wall, Max peeked over the edge to see no one was around. Flipping over, Max softly landed on the grass and broke into one of the rooms on the bottom floor. Coming out of the dorm room, Max ran out of the hall and up the stairs as the people outside grew more anxious with the noise they were making. Sprinting up the last couple of flights, Max quietly opened the door leading out to the rooftop. Seeing Kate teetering on the edge of the roof, Max was about to sprint over when Kate spotted her out of the corner of her eye.

"What are you doing here, Max? This isn't any of your business," Kate said dejectedly, now facing Max on the roof's edge.

"I don't know what happened to you, Kate, but killing yourself is not the answer," Max said, taking a half-step towards Kate.

"How do you know? You don't have people leaving you messages on your door or calling you a 'viral slut' as you pass them by in the hallway? My mother's heartbroken, my sisters won't talk to me, and my dad just tries to tell me that things will get better! How? How will things get better?" Kate cried, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Kate. A...a few years ago, I-I nearly killed myself," Max said, realizing she was going to have to tell this terrified girl something personal to get her to understand, "Something...something terrible happened to me and I wanted to die. I almost did."

"...What stopped you?" Kate asked, calming down a little but still standing on the edge of the roof.

"Someone I trusted," Max said, remembering both the first and last time she had seen Henri's face, "I trusted him, and he stopped me. Told me that we don't let our pain, our problems control us. We push through the physical, mental, and emotional trials in our lives so that we control _them_. I am my own person, just as you are yours. Don't let what others say make this fatal decision, Kate. Take control, fight back!"

"...I want to believe you, I really do. It all just seems so pointless," Kate said, her voice hollow as the tears started back up, "My life is over. You don't even know what it is they're harassing me about-"

"And I _don't care_. I care about you, about the sweet girl I saw in class the other day, the girl who had the amazing eye that showed me how much she cares about other people," Max said as she cautiously took another half-step.

"...You saw my photo? I didn't think it was any good..."

"Your heart shows in your work, Kate. You have an eye that relays just how large your heart is. Don't let one thing in your life decide that it is over. Come down, come with me, and beat back the bullies," Max said, walking over slowly with a hand outstretched.

Max watched as Kate began to reach out, her eyes widening as a crack of thunder from an approaching storm startled Kate. Her feet slipping from the surprise, Kate fell backwards and began to fall. Max felt the world go into slow-motion as she began to run the short distance across the roof to where Kate was beginning to fall. Jumping with her hand still outstretched, Max watched as Kate passed out of sight and stretched herself as far as she could go.

"Gotcha!" Max said as she grabbed onto one of Kate's sleeves. Hearing the crowd down below gasp, Max looked down frantically and smiled in relief as she saw that Kate hadn't slipped out of her sweater. Seeing Kate clutch at her hand with all the strength she had, Max gingerly began to pull back onto the roof with Kate in tow. A head, then shoulders, and finally a torso; Max scrambled over and pulled Kate the rest of the way onto the roof as it began to rain.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Kate said as Max held the crying girl to her chest.

"You're here, Kate. Don't be sorry. Just _be_."

David was the first one to make it to them, looking at Max with a mixed expression as she helped Kate to the stairway door. Not giving David a single thought, Max ignored him as she focused on helping her new friend down the stairs. _I'm going to keep an eye on you, Kate Marsh. You, Dana, Juliet. Something's going on here and I don't like it._ Making it to the door leading out onto the courtyard, Max looked out the window and saw the students and teachers gathering and peered down at Kate. Huddled in Max's arms, Kate began to cry again as she heard people on the other side of the door.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Max," Kate said, looking up at Max with red eyes.

Looking down at Kate with a warm smile, Max lightly kissed Kate on the forehead and led her out through the back door, the emergency alarm going off. Hearing the commotion from the other side of the building increase, Max slowly escorted Kate from the back of the dormitory to the breezeway. Seeing an older, bald gentleman that Max recognized as Principal Wells, Max signaled him with a wave of her free hand and watched as he came running with a paramedic. Max stopped walking and pulled out her phone.

"May I have your number?" Max asked Kate softly, seeing the girl look up at her in confusion.

"Why?" Kate asked in a sad tone as she watched the paramedic get closer.

"I haven't been back in Arcadia Bay for a very long time, and I think we could both use a new friend," Max said with a smile as she saw Kate's eyes briefly light up. Max watched as Kate punched in a series of numbers and hand the phone back to her with shaking hands. Kissing her on the forehead again, Max let the paramedic take her as Principal Wells approached her.

"Thank you. It's Ms. Caulfield, right-" Wells began to say only to be cut off by the sound of someone yelling "Max!" from the other side of the courtyard.

Leaning over to look behind Wells, Max began to cry as she smiled at the sight of Chloe standing at the entrance to the school's parking lot. Nearly knocking the principal over, Max ran across the courtyard as fast as she could without raising suspicion and let herself get lifted up as Chloe took Max into her arms.

"Oh fuck, man. Holy fucking shit! What happened? I saw some cops pull in while I was waiting for you, and then an ambulance. Jesus fuck, Max, what the hell-" Chloe said before being interrupted by Max's lips coming into contact with her own.

Max cupped Chloe's face with her hands as she kissed Chloe with desperation, her body shaking as she fought off the urge to sob. Tears running down her cheeks, Max watched as Chloe opened her eyes and pulled Max back. Pulling her beanie off, Chloe wiped at Max's face to get rid of the bloody tears before anyone else saw.

"Max. What happened?" Chloe said, dabbing at Max's face softly while keeping her gaze locked onto Max.

"...That girl over by the ambulance? She tried to kill herself, jump from the roof," Max said, her body shaking as she choked back a sob, "I-I talked her down."

"Oh my god, Max. Just... _fuck_. Are you okay?" Chloe asked, leaning her forehead onto Max's as she gave Max Eskimo kisses.

"No. No, I'm not okay Chloe. I'm far from fucking okay. But I can be. Please, can you just hold me? Just...just help me to try and not make this day not be so damn terrible?" Max pleaded, her eyes watering clear tears as she leaned her head onto Chloe's shoulder.

Chloe held onto her as Max wept, not only Kate but for herself, terrified of losing everything she held dear.

 **Author's Note: I've lost friends and other loved ones to suicide, both from my time in and out of the military. I've also thought of suicide before myself. If you are hurting, or someone you know needs help, call** **1 (800) 273-8255** **for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Don't let whatever is keeping you down take you out.**


	9. Chapter 9

**We Are Broken, from the Paramore album** _ **Riot!**_

Max slid her arms underneath Chloe's jacket to feel her warmth as Chloe held onto her. Still sobbing, Max's mind was bombarded with repetitive images of Kate hanging in mid-air with her arm reached out. Accompanying that event was Max's memory of standing in the woods with the piece of wood, ready to end her own life. Shaking, Max buried her face deep into Chloe's chest as the other girl rubbed her hand up and down Max's back, whispering "Shh, sweetie, shh". Looking up to meet Chloe's eyes, Max felt like completely broken. Watching as Chloe's attention was momentarily diverted from her, Max turned her head to see Principal Wells and a police officer walking towards them.

"Please, I just want to go _home_. Can we just go, Che?" Max said in a rasping voice, her throat dry from the tears.

"I think they want something, Max. Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere," Chloe said, pulling Max back gently to take her hand as Wells and the police officer made it to them."

"Glad to see you're still here, Ms. Caulfield. I know that you've just been through a significant ordeal, but I need you to come with me. We need to discuss what happened," Wells said, trying to sound apologetic as he saw the level of distress Max was in, "It won't take long. I promise."

"C-Can Chloe come with me?" Max asked, her hand tightening onto Chloe's with enough pressure to make Chloe wince just a little.

"Well, this is a matter for the school and the police…" Wells began to say before being interrupted by Chloe.

"I can sit in the secretary's office, Max. I'll be right outside, okay?" Chloe said, looking down into the other girl's eyes with concern.

Nodding shyly, Max let Chloe lead her towards the school. Feeling increasingly numb, Max nearly stumbled over her own feet a couple times, covering her face with a hand as students stood over by the breezeway with some pulling out their smartphones to take pictures or record video. Feeling despondent, Max leaned into Chloe's shoulder as they slowly walked up the steps. _I just want to go leave_. Hearing the ambulance drive off, Max thought of how scared Kate was as she had let Kate go with the paramedic. Max halted mid-step as her chest felt like it might seize up. Seeing Chloe look at her with a worried expression, Max put her hand to her still chest and frowned, mixed feelings rising about the pros and cons of no longer having a beating heart. _Heartbreak without the working heart part of the equation. A repetition of love and loss, or near-loss._ Kate's tragic near-fall made Max think of what Chloe might have gone through over the past five years and Max felt herself begin to shake again.

"Come on, Max. Just one step at a time, and I swear I'll take you home the _second_ they don't need you here anymore," Chloe said in a soothing voice, "We'll go back to your apartment and get hella trashed. Might even get you to smoke a joint."

Seeing the weak smile that played across Max's lips, Chloe winked as she led Max through the door Wells was holding open for them. Thankful for the silence of the empty hallway, Max kept her head downcast as she hesitantly relinquished her hold on Chloe's hand and was lead into the principal's office. Hearing the door close behind her, Max looked up with a tired expression as she surveyed the small area.

Mark Jefferson, David Madsen, and Nathan Prescott were already present, the teacher and security guard standing on opposite ends of the desk in what looked like the tail end of a heated discussion. Prescott, seated in one of two chairs facing the principal's desk, was oblivious to everyone as he typed something into his phone. Seeing Wells gesture to her the empty chair next to Prescott, Max slowly walked over and sat down with her face cradled in her hands.

"Now, I know that today has been a trying experience for everyone here. I just want to say how proud I am that Blackwell rallied together to save the life of one of its brightest students. That said, there are somethings that need to be addressed," Wells said before looking over at Madsen, "Mr. Madsen, as head of Blackwell's security it is your responsibly to ensure the safety and well-being of its students. The door to the rooftop should have been locked, and I would encourage you to better attend to your duties in the future."

Seeing Madsen grit his teeth as she looked through her splayed fingers, Max watched Wells turn his attention to the oblivious Nathan Prescott.

"Mr. Prescott, I have seen this video that is evidently the source of Ms. Marsh's depression, and I notice that it takes place at a Vortex Club party. Given that you are a member, and that the event in question was orchestrated by you, I will be personally looking into the events of that night to find out what really happened to Kate," Wells said, getting a smirk from Nathan in reply, "Now, Ms. Caulfield, while I do understand that you are dealing with the trauma of what recently transpired I do have to ask why you were up there on the roof?"

Max sat up in the chair, wiping at her eyes while softly coughing. Not having fed recently, Max felt a hunger pang as she leaned forward. Taking in and releasing a deep breath, Max focused her attention on Principal Wells.

"I…I just wanted to help, Principal Wells. Mr. Jefferson told me what was going on and I saw all the people standing in the dormitory courtyard. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing, so I snuck around to the back of the building and made my way inside through an open window," Max quietly said. _And by that I mean I broke in to save a poor girl's life. Just leave me alone, geez!_ "I just did what needed to be done."

"Don't be modest," Mr. Jefferson said, putting a hand on Max's shoulder, then withdrawing it quickly as Max flinched in response to the touch, "Your actions were those of a real hero today, Max."

"Yeah, a real 'hero'," Madsen uttered under his breath, turning away as he saw Max look at him from the corner of her eye.

"Did Ms. Marsh say anything to you up there, any reasoning behind her actions?" Wells asked, leaning forward onto his desk as his attention focused on the distressed girl sitting across from him.

"She was just really, _really_ , distressed by the video that you were talking about earlier…and how she was being treated by people in school," Max said with a sullen look, "Nobody deserves to be harassed like that. Look, can I go? I really would like to go home."

Exchanging a look with the police officer standing in the corner behind him, Wells looked back at Max and nodded. Telling her that she would have to come back tomorrow to make an official statement, Wells gently escorted Max to the door and closed it behind her. Max had barely taken two steps before she was wrapped up in Chloe's arms. The taller girl swayed side-to-side as she tightly held onto Max, and Max could feel the wetness on her forehead of Chloe's tear-streaked cheeks. _Oh, Che, don't cry. That's my thing. I'm here, and you're here. Please, just let_ one _of us be sad. Okay?_ Pulling back a little, Max lifted a hand to Chloe's cheek and stood on her tip-toes as she kissed Chloe tenderly.

"Wow, you really missed me," Max said with a weak grin after pulling back from the kiss, "Home?"

"Come on, nerd. Let Dr. Price take care of her patient," Chloe said as she took Max's hand and led her out into the hallway.

Both girls looking through the windows of the double doors, they looked at each other apprehensively as a crowd began to gather in the main courtyard. Pulling the bloodstained beanie from her back pocket, Chloe pulled it onto Max's head and wrapped the smaller girl up in her jacket. Intertwining their fingers together, Max and Chloe walked out of the main entrance to Blackwell Academy and began to hurry across the courtyard toward the parking lot, ignoring people as they tried to get the two escaping girls' attention.

The drive back to Max's apartment felt much longer than it actually was, the silence palpable as Chloe wound through Arcadia Bay. Max could feel Chloe looking over at her every now and then, but Max could only stare out the passenger side window. Leaving her scooter behind at Blackwell, Chloe had told Max that they would go back later to pick it up before taking off out of the Blackwell parking lot. Feeling a hand gently touch her thigh, Max looked down and then over while Chloe looked straight ahead as she drove.

Taking the offered hand, Max held onto it gently as she looked back out the passenger window. Thinking of Kate, herself, and the imaginings of what Chloe might have gone through while she was away, Max sighed weakly as the distress from the afternoon's events continued to play with her mind. _Can I be like the rain? A single moment, splashing onto the ground only to be brought back up to the sky through the air? Something clean, something that refreshes. I've saved two lives since coming back, but will_ I _ever feel refreshed?_

"Almost there, Max. Just a couple more blocks," Chloe said as she squeezed Max's small hand, "I think we should _definitely_ get some shots going, and I need to bake some. Hella fucking day, Max, hella fucking day."

"I think I might leave the booze and pot to you, Chloe. I just want to…I don't know what I want to do," Max said in an uncertain tone as they reached the parking lot, "Whatever it is, just don't go. Okay?"

"Relax, dude. I'm not going anywhere," Chloe said as she climbed out of the truck. Running around to the passenger side, Chloe opened the door for Max and held the smaller girl's hand as they walked across the street and up the steps to Max's apartment.

Max made a grumpy sound as Chloe opened the door, remembering that Chloe didn't have a key to lock up behind her. _Maybe I should give her the spare the doorknob came with_ , Max thought, _She_ is _staying here, for now. Plus, she's going to be over here plenty._ Both girls sliding their footwear off, Max and Chloe walked into the apartment and went in different directions. With Chloe plopping herself in the living room chair, Max went to the kitchen and put the now-empty sports bottle and flask next to the fridge. Pulling out her pack of gum from a hip pocket in her jeans, Max chewed quietly as the spicy cinnamon flavor warmed the inside of her mouth. Taking a seat on the coffee table so that she was sitting in front of Chloe, Max watched as she lit up a joint.

"Sure, Che, you can smoke your pot in here. Stoner," Max said with an effort at sounding more cheerful than she felt.

"Well, when you put it like that," Chloe said between toking, blowing smoke rings up towards the ceiling as she leaned back, "You know, this is medicinal."

"For what?" Max asked, snorting incredulously.

"My-life-sucks-itis. Not as rare as one might think, but very few documented cases," Chloe countered, a small grin on her face stretching into a genuine smile as Max moved to take a seat on Chloe's lap.

Throwing her legs over one of the chair's arms, Max leaned into Chloe and laid her head down on the other girl's shoulder as Chloe smoked. Max nuzzled Chloe's neck for a moment as the other girl wrapped her back up in the blazer, reclining on the taller girl with her eyes closed in exhaustion. The two girls sat there for a while, just sitting and giving comfort to each other as the day's events weighed on them. _Pancakes,_ Max thought, _We should totally make pancakes again. But we'd have to go to the store. Boo, pancakes, boo on your requirement to move me out of my comfy Chlo…_

"You asleep, Max?" Chloe asked quietly as she finished her joint, looking down at the peaceful girl sitting in her lap.

"No," Max replied simply, wrapping her arms across Chloe's shoulders, "You want me to be?"

"Fuck no, I'd be stuck in this chair for hours. Besides, your morning breath is probably fucking awful."

"Just for that, Chloe Price, you get to sleep on the floor," Max said, opening an up to look up at Chloe, "And no pancakes for you tomorrow. I was going to make pancakes, but now I'm not gonna."

"…This morning did have an incredibly bright spot, didn't it?" Chloe asked softly, sounding like she was far away in thought.

"Mmm-hmm," Max replied, nuzzling her face against Chloe's neck, "I liked making breakfast with you. I wouldn't mind if it became a more common occurrence."

"Stop trying to get in my pants, ladykiller," Chloe said, biting her lip at the choice of words, "Oh, fuck. I didn't mean it like-"

"Hush, Che. I know how you meant it, my fragile little flower," Max said, her voice becoming teasing as she traced Chloe's collarbone slowly with a finger, kissing Chloe's neck.

"Ugh. You know, that _will_ eventually get old," Chloe said, rolling her eyes as she grinned from Max's little kisses.

"You hope it does," Max replied, tilting Chloe's chin down to meet the other girl's lips.

Lifting herself out of Chloe's arms, Max walked lightly over to the kitchen. Open the cabinet under the sink, and another by the fridge, Max returned to the living room with two bottles of Goldschlager and glasses. Setting the items from the kitchen on the coffee table, Max sat on the floor cross-legged and patted a spot on the floor with her hand. Chloe grinned mischievously as she slid out of the chair and crawled over to where Max was sitting. Taking a seat next to Max, Chloe eyed the shot glass and the regular-sized glass.

"Uh…" Chloe said, looking at Max with a quizzical expression.

"That is pretty much the ratio if you want me to get as drunk as you," Max said, beginning to pour the drinks.

"Bullshit."

"No bullshit here. Unless you want to switch glasses, see how you hold _my_ idea of liquor," Max said, a wry smirk beginning to appear on her face.

"I thought you didn't want to get drunk, though," Chloe said as she eyed the shot glass in her hand.

"I decided to live a little, 'Hella fucking day' after all," Max said, raising her glass to toast.

Chloe took her shot in a single gulp and looked at Max in amazement as she downed an entire glass of the spicy liquor almost as fast. Slamming the shot glass on the table, Chloe wiggled her butt against the floor in giddy anticipation of seeing Max drunk. Pouring another round, Max didn't wait for Chloe to pick up her glass, downing her glass in two gulps. Exhaling deeply from the heat in her mouth, Max winced at how spicy the Goldschlager was. Seeing Chloe's eyes begin to tear up, Max snorted as she poured one more round.

Max and Chloe managed to make it two more rounds before Chloe started to look incredibly tipsy, Max wobbling as she made her way to the kitchen to store the near-empty bottle of Goldschlager that was left. Being extra careful with her strength, Max gently placed the glasses in the sink individually and yelped in surprise as Chloe came up from behind and wrapped her arms around Max's waist. Max forgot how much being drunk dumbed down her senses.

"You flowery jerk," Max said with a pout, "Scaring poor, defenseless me."

"Pfff, yeah. You're defenseless. Tell that to all the people whose asses you have kicked for the past three years," Chloe said with a smirk, kissing the back of Max's neck as she slid her hands into Max's jeans.

"…You sure about that, having sex with a drunk vampire? I wouldn't exactly describe you as someone with safety being their primary concern, Che, but now you're just being ridiculous," Max said as she playfully tried to wiggle out of Chloe's grip only to moan as Chloe's hands squeezed at her hips.

"You sure you want me to stop?" Chloe said between kisses, now craning her neck to kiss under Max's jawline.

"Mmmf…I'm…I'm undecided."

"We'll go slowly, Max. There's no rush," Chloe whispered in Max's ear, grinning as her friend responded with a shiver.

Chloe took Max by the hand and led her to the bedroom. Sitting Max on the edge of the bed, Chloe playfully began to strip in front of her. Max watched with a drunken lust as Chloe methodically removed every article of clothing until only the necklace and her bracelets remained. Max felt her hands reach out to touch Chloe only for them to be gently swatted down as Chloe straddled Max. Max lifted her arms up when Chloe began to tug on Max's shirt, letting the blue-haired girl pull the shirt up.

Stopping the movement just as only Max's mouth was visible under the partially-removed shirt, Chloe laid Max down on the bed and began to kiss the restrained girl on the lips. Slowly and gently at first, Chloe increased the intensity of the kiss as she began to explore Max's cinnamon-flavored mouth with her tongue. Feeling Max's tongue slide into her own mouth, Chloe caught it with her lips and sucked on Max's tongue for a moment, eliciting another shiver. Grabbing the remained of the shirt, Chloe pulled the article of clothing off while sitting up. Max looked up at Chloe and marveled at not how much she wanted Chloe, but how beautiful Chloe was. _She's like a statue, lean and fair and strong. If I weren't stronger than her, she'd dominate me at her whim. I'm tempted to let her do so anyway, honest-to-Dog._

Max watched as Chloe climbed off of her and slowly unbuttoned Max's jeans, sliding them off in almost a single pull. She gasped as Chloe grabbed her panties and ripped them off with a sharp tug before reassuming her seated position on Max's lower abdomen. Grabbing the covers from the unmade bed, Chloe scooted further into the bed, dragging Max along underneath her. Max rested her head on a pillow with a moan as Chloe began to rub herself against Max, and giggled as Chloe grinned and pulled the black comforter over both of them.

Max woke up in the middle of the night, her head pounding from the alcohol and sitting up to quickly. Looking around in a daze, Max heard the quiet breathing of Chloe lying fast asleep next to her. Grinning at Chloe, Max looked down suddenly with a small chuckle as her stomach growled. Quietly slipping out of bed, Max nearly fell over from the balance issues related to how much she had drank. _Ugh, I think…did I drink one of those bottles_ by myself _? Shit, I'm so fucking out of it. What time is it? The last thing I remember…mmmm…yeah, the last thing I remember I could let be the last thing I remember every night. Fuck, Chloe, and also fuck Chloe._

Stumbling over towards the kitchen, Max opened the fridge, squinting as the appliance's internal light blinded her and illuminated a section of the darkened apartment. Max looked around, puzzled, as she couldn't remember when the lights had been shut off. Shrugging, Max pulled at a jug that she had placed in the fridge and poured herself a glass of her animal cocktail. _I think it's good that all that human blood is gone. It messes with my head too much, like I become a completely different person_ , Max thought as she nursed her meal. _That shit is hella dangerous. Heh, I said hella. I_ must _be drunk._

Max closed the fridge before tilting the glass up to drain its contents, too numb from the alcohol earlier in the night to notice a gloved hand reaching out from behind. Max's eyes opened wide as the large hand secured her jaw, clamping her mouth shut so that only muffled screams could escape from Max. No louder than a whisper, Max screamed and kicked as the person holding onto her lifted her body in the air to avoid making any noise. Max thrashed in the grip of a powerful set of arms before feeling a pressure begin to form on the side of her neck. _No…what's….please, please don't,_ Max thought before the figure holding her snapped her neck, Max's body going limp.

 _Max was running along the coast of France in an anxious frenzy, terrified of whoever it was pursuing her. Not having fed for days, Max's pace had begun to slow down considerably and Max felt that whoever was coming after her was toying with her at this point._

" _Come on!" Max yelled as she looked behind her, "You scared of a little girl? Come on!"_

 _Max's feet picked up in speed when she heard a barking laugh from the trees a small distance down from where she had been running. Coming up to a cliff, Max realized with a fright that she had let herself be cornered._ The only way is down _, Max thought as she peered over the edge and out into the water below._ Is this the Channel? Could I swim it? _Max took a few steps back and, reaching a point of desperation, began to run for the cliff's edge when a large hand caught her by the throat from behind. Hanging in mid-air, Max felt the hand squeeze tightly enough for Max to go limp without knocking her unconscious._

 _"Hello, child," a booming, masculine voice said._ A…a British accent…? _Max thought dimly as she began to fade in and out of consciousness. Feeling herself lowered a bit, Max woke up with a start as a large fist connected with her face. Coughing up blood, Max winced from the pain spreading from the fist's point of impact, "My name is Antony, and I'm here to deliver your sentence."_

 _Max felt herself slipping out of consciousness again._ No, dammit! No! Do something! _Max thought as she fought to keep her eyes open. Popping out her fangs, Max bit down on Antony's hand as hard as she could, feeling his hand reflexively open up as she connected her teeth with bone. Max was on her feet in half a second, dragging her feet as she made a run for the edge again. Hearing Antony curse behind her, Max felt herself tumble off the edge and land with a loud splash into the water below._

" _Escape," Max gurgled as she floated underwater, her body feeling limp from exhaustion. Watching her watery vision begin to fade, Max felt her head smack a large rock and everything went black._

Max came to with a scream as pain was the first thing that registered to her, pain of her neck knitting back together and pain from something being lanced into her shoulder. Max screamed again as she opened her eyes wide to see an iron rod jutting out of her shoulder, only for another to be slammed through her other shoulder. Max was pinned against something, and didn't know where she was. _It's dark. It's dark and I'm going to die and OH GOD CHLOE._

Max writhed as she painfully tried to lift her body up, inching up the metal rods that were making her skin burn. Fatigued from the attempt, Max flopped back onto the surface she was laying on for a moment before trying again. Max screamed again as she saw another iron rod appear out of the shadows, a gloved hand wielding it as it was slammed into a knee. Followed by her other knee being pierced through, Max began to whimper as the person walking out of the shadows jogged her memory.

"Hello, child. Or should I say… _Max_ ," Antony said with a sad smile on his face, "It took some time to find you, but I here I am and here you are."

Max gritted her teeth as Antony cupped her chin with a four-fingered hand. Feeling the pressure he exerted as her jaw began to pop, Max let out a cry of terror as he released his hand from her.

"Did you know that, despite your grave offense of killing your own kind, we do not execute offenders unless there is _no_ chance of rehabilitation? We're better than the human's justice system, ha! No, we lock the worst of us away for a time, and bring them back out when they are more easily…malleable," Antony said in a matter-of-fact tone as he paced the table Max realized she was pinned onto.

"What…w-what about…" Max stuttered, what strength she had being diverted to shunting away as much of the pain as she could.

"Your lover? The human has committed no offense, and while I would like to eat her, I am under instruction to procure you _specifically._ You may have a single point of relief in knowing that she is unharmed. In fact, she's probably sleeping still. The night _is_ incredibly young."

Max allowed herself a painful sigh as she imagined Chloe fast asleep in her bed. Chloe, the girl who she wanted to spend her life with, wanted to explore the world with her like they had imagined as children. The girl she had loved since she was 13 years old and kissing for the first time. Max felt hot tears begin to streak down her face as Chloe's sleeping visage sprang to mind and Max choked back the sobs.

"You don't have to be modest in front of me. I, too, have loved. And lost. Such it is, with us. While most of our kind would find the idea of a human mate appalling, I can at least agree with you in how they invoke such _feeling_ in us. Go on, Max, go on and cry. It may be one of the last things you do for some time, so bottling it up will not do you any favors."

Max cried. Max cried for the night in Seattle, for the homeless man who was killed before her eyes so that she could feed for the first time. Max cried for the seemingly endless nights of being on the run with little to no sleep, taking what small pleasures she had in her photography as she wished that Chloe were with her. Max thought about the night three years ago at the junkyard, and how much Chloe meant to her. Max thought of their lovemaking, which is what it was to her. Not sex, not fucking. Love. Max had made love to the woman she loved and couldn't help but flash a weak smile as she thought of Chloe's smiling face afterwards as she had snuggled up next to Max before they went to sleep in each other's arms.

"I do not know how long they will keep you locked away, Max," Antony said, sounding impassive as he reached under the table for a briefcase, "I only know that I am to leave you locked away here, in your town. I think the idea is…to lock you away within reach of the ones you cherish. We _can_ be cruel, even if there is a certain flair to it."

Max dry-heaved from the pain as Antony pulled out each of the iron rods, one at a time, and curled up into a ball as she had a moment to breathe without the sensation of metal running through her. Her momentary piece was shattered, however, when Antony pulled out the contents of the briefcase with his gloved hands. Two wrought-iron chains hung from his hands as he loomed over Max. Max fought him, vainly, and screamed when Antony broke one of her arms to get her to lie still. Antony flipped her around a few times as he spun the chains around her chest and ankles, pinning her while the chains burned the exposed skin. Max began to cry again and this time Antony said nothing, just letting her cry. Picking Max up by the chains binding her, Antony carried her out of the darkened room to what lay beyond.

 _Oh God, we were in the lighthouse,_ Max thought as she writhed in agony. Every movement made the chains slide across her exposed skin, either leaving a new burn or making a previous one worse. Max looked around frantically and tried to open her mouth. Antony swiftly clamped her mouth shut again with his free hand and squeezed until Max grew silent. Max watched as her vision spun and she landed with a dull _thud_ in a tough-looking, wooden box. Looking up, Max watched the night sky and marveled at how clear it now was in comparison to when she was at Blackwell earlier. Max looked in horror as Antony put on a set of iron knuckles and reared his fist back.

"Goodbye, Maxine Caulfield. Maybe I will see you again, maybe not. I hope your dreams, at least, are peaceful.

 _Chloe_ was Max's last thought before she was knocked out by a massive fist connecting with the side of her skull.

 _Max was lying her head in Chloe's lap, the two of them relaxing on the bench overlooking Arcadia Bay from the lighthouse hilltop. Closing her eyes in contentment, Max turned away from the view and nuzzled her nose against Chloe's abdomen and felt Chloe flinch away as her ticklishness got the better of her._

" _Forgot your ticklish," Max said with a giggle._

 _"Liar, you didn't forget shit," Chloe replied, chuckling, "Hey, Max, can I ask you something? Don't get mad, okay? I just need to know, need to hear it from you."_

 _Max tried to sit up but found herself pinned down. Struggling against an unseen weight, Max fell still as Chloe continued with what she was saying._

 _"Why did you lie? Why did you tell me forever only to leave me again? Why can't I find you?" Max heard Chloe ask with a choked sob._

 _Max felt something wet splash into her ear. Looking up, Max saw tears cascading down Chloe's cheeks. Max wanted to wipe them away, but something was preventing her from moving. Max just stared up at the tears increased in volume from Chloe's eyes, beginning to grow anxious as storm clouds began to form overhead. With a loud_ crack _, rain began to pour down and mix together with Chloe's tears. Feeling like she was dying, Max looked up at Chloe with a pained expression as her friend looked down at her mutely. Max's heart broke as Chloe looked at her with a sad smile._

" _Where are you?" Chloe asked, before the tears from her eyes turned into a flood, swallowing up Max in a blackness._

Max writhed in pain as her eyes opened. Looking around for only a moment, eliciting a small scream that ended with bubbles escaping from her open lips, Max realized that she was underwater. Thrashing inside the box that held her, Max felt the sting as the iron felt white-hot against her skin in the frigid water. _If this is the w-w-water from my dream, where did that c-cracking noise come from?_ Max thought as she tried to lift herself up only to realize her vampiric strength was gone. Max strained as she bumped her forehead against the lid and drew back as she heard something knocking around outside her prison.

Max lurched as she felt something grab the box and begin to pull both it and her up. Squirming even harder, Max let the pain from the iron rubbing against her skin fuel her recovering consciousness and grew silent as the muffled sounds of being submerged changed into the sounds of water draining out of her confinement. Looking around desperately as thought the box fall apart at any moment, Max heard a mechanical whine as the box went from being lifted to being pulled to her right. _A crane? A fishing trawler!_ Max let her body go stiff as an idea formed in her waking mind, and closed her eyes when the box landed with a thud on what she assumed was a ship's deck.

"Let's see what we have here, eh?" Max heard a voice say before feeling a tugging sensation as someone began prying at the lid of the box, "Damn thing is on there good."

Hearing a grunt of exertion, Max nearly opened her eyes back up as the lid finally gave way and was pried off. Hearing a clatter as the lid was set next to the box, Max heard an intake of breath that nearly startled her.

"Jesus Christ!" the voice said, a man's, as she felt probing fingers lightly touch her body and the chains, "What the blue fuck did you get yourself into, little missy? Oh, oh Jesus. I…I should leave this for cops, but I can't leave you like that. You look like a bloody torture victim."

Max heard footsteps as the man lumbered off. Tempted to sit up and try to squirm her way out of the box, _Fuck you, chains! I'm moving!_ , Max froze still once more as she heard familiar footsteps return and a thrill of surprise as she felt one of the chains snapped in half. _He brought bolt cutters! You are my new savior, whoever the hell you are!_ Max's felt anticipation with each snapping sensation until she felt the chains pulled off on her body to lay alongside her on the bottom of the floor. Max heard the fisherman sigh before taking off and knew this was her chance. Weakly lifting herself up, Max slid out of the box and tipped it with her over the side of the boat, taking whatever evidence she could down with her as she heard the fisherman cry out before she was once again surrounded by water.

Max didn't know how long she had floated, didn't know where she was. She only knew that she was free and that she had to find Chloe. Her need for Chloe was as powerful as her growing hunger, and Max found she had enough clarity to distinguish the two as she limply began to swim to what she thought was a coastline. Max swam and floated, swam and sunk, watching as night turned into day and back into night. Her clothing beginning to feel ragged, the hollow of Max's stomach was like a pit as she felt herself seize up periodically. Max almost missed the flash of a strobe light as she wearily lifted her head out of the water while floating. It was night, and looming from a short distance was the lighthouse of Arcadia Bay. Greedily, Max began to push her arms up and out as she feebly swam, wanting only to feel ground beneath her feet for the time being.

The beach was deserted, Arcadia Bay being fairly quiet this late at night. No one was around to notice as Max began to walk up the beach from beneath the gentle surf. A crown of hair became a ghostly visage, soon followed by rest of her as she slowly made her way up the beach. Max weakly bent down and grabbed a handful of sand, sifting it through her ghost-white hands. Flexing her toes in the dry sand, Max cracked her neck and popped her aching shoulders and knees. Without blood, her injuries had healed at an achingly slow rate, and Max had no clue how long she had been gone. Max was starving, her fangs popping out after every time she drew them back in.

"Fuck it," Max said, lumbering along the shoreline. She didn't care she was only wearing a tattered t-shirt and shorts. She didn't care that her fangs were just _out_ and was too tired and hungry to draw them back in. Max's head snapped up as she heard small footfalls and the sound of a dog barking. Turning about, Max saw what she assumed was a stray dog running towards her with its tongue sticking out of the side of its mouth. Max knelt down and let the animal finish running up to her. Slowly petting its head as she watched the tail wag, Max let her petting hand rest on the dog's neck. _Sorry, pooch. I hope you had a full life, and also that you're not sick or anything._

Rearing her head back, Max plunged her fangs into the neck of the animal and clutched at it when it squirmed for an instant. An instant was all it took for Max, sucking at the blood gushing out so fast that the dog's front legs collapsed and Max bent over the prone animal as she greedily fed. Wiping her chin with the back of her hand, Max looked down more clear-headed as she frowned at the poor beast. _I hope it didn't have an owner or anything._ Grabbing the carcass by its hind legs, Max dragged it into the water and threw it as hard as she could, watching it splash a ways away. The rest of her senses returning, Max looked down and shivered as she pulled at the ruined t-shirt. Saturated with water and stained with blood from the collar down to her chest, Max let out a faint "Ew" before she began to walk up the beach.

Narrowly avoiding what little people she saw as she stumbled through Arcadia Bay, Max pulled on the parka she had stolen from a sporting goods store as she walked barefoot towards her building. Seeing Chloe's truck parked in the lot across the street, Max only then thought about how long she may have been gone. Stopping in mid-stride, Max's lip began to quiver as it felt to her like all her strength just disappeared. _What if she's actually gone? What if she hates me, doesn't want to see me? What if it's been months,_ years _? Oh God, oh fuck! This sucks!_

Clambering up the steps, Max reached the door and banged on the wall next to it. Sighing, Max redirected her shaking arm and pounded again, this time on the door. Pounding again, Max saw a dim glow appear from underneath the door as she thought she heard footsteps approaching.

"Goddamnit, dude, I told you I would have the rent by the end of next month! I know that I'm not the original rentor, but it's kinda hard to advertise a tattoo business when you're operating out of your home without a fucking license. Cut me some hella slack!" Max heard as the door unlocked with a _click_ and swung open.

The pale light shrouded Max in shadow so it took a moment for the blue-haired girl's eyes to adjust. Max watched as Chloe began to fumble back a step as she took in the bloody clothes, the scars along Max's body, the look of death on Max's face. Max fell to her knees on the landing in front of the apartment's doorway as Chloe looked at her with her mouth agape. Taking a second, Max weakly tilted her head up to speak only to begin sobbing.

Max felt slender hands grab her by the shoulders as she continued to cry on the landing. Her eyes squeezed shut, Max couldn't bear to look at Chloe, afraid of the look on her face. Max sat there, crying in obvious pain, and heard a choked voice speak up next to her.

"Oh my God, Max! Where the _fuck_ have you been?!" Chloe cried out as she slapped at the sulking girl, "What the goddamn, motherfucking hell?! You fucking disappear-"

Chloe stopped in mid-swing as she saw Max finally look up at her, and Max heard Chloe's heart flutter as she saw the look in Max's eyes.

"I saw you and I was lost and I was locked away, but you looked after me and held me in your lap as the tears turned to floods and oceans and I managed to escape," Max managed to choke out before beginning to cry again. Shaking almost uncontrollably, Max felt the hard grip on her shoulder turn into a caress on her back.

"I'm so sorry, Che. I'm so sorry," Max cried as Chloe pulled Max into an embrace, "I couldn't get away, and then I got out by pure fucking _luck_ and everything hurts everywhere," Max sobbed, "I'm hungry and lonely and all I could think about was you."

Max sniffled as the sobs began to recede, laying her head against Chloe's shoulder. Worried that Chloe was angry with her, or that she no longer wanted her, Max tilted her head up to find Chloe's lips meeting her own in a passionate kiss. Expecting Chloe to gag on her bloody breath, Max felt a surge of relief and warmth as Chloe kept on kissing her for a minute or so. Her lips felt like fire to Max, burning and warming her entire being as she felt Chloe's heartbeat through their connection. Breaking off the kiss, Chloe pulled Max back gingerly and looked at her with a tear-stained face.

"You've been gone for a month, Max! Where were you?" Chloe asked, looking at Max in surprise as the smaller, sickly girl laughed hoarsely.

"Oh God, I thought…I thought it had been months or something," Max croaked, "I thought I'd been buried out there for months."

"No, dude. You've been missing for _a_ month. Joyce and I canvassed the town with fucking missing person posters, looking for you. Blackwell even pitched in, put out a missing person report on their website. Max, what the fuck happened?" Chloe asked, her tone calming down somewhat as began to take the wasted state of Max's appearance more fully.

"I…I'm in trouble, Chloe. I'm in real, honest-to-Dog trouble," Max said.

 **Author's Note - Yep. Time jump. I chose this ending out of three fully-written ones because a) I didn't want this story to get stale and b) I want to explore issues that are prevalent in today's culture like the game does. I did so with "Rebel Girl", so this seemed appropriate. Chloe feels abandoned again, even more so after becoming intimate and vulnerable with Max, with Max being even more messed up now as she is traumatized further.**

 **Chapter 10 is going to partially resolve some things, as well as present how Chloe and Max struggle with each other and themselves after a month-long separation from the whirlwind romance of Chapter 1 up to Max's difference. Also, as some of you have affectionately referred to her, "Psycho/Uber Max" will be making a return in 10. The circumstances bringing that side of Max will be...interesting, to say the least.**

 **Read, review, and continue to have as great a day as you possibly can! See you all in Chapter 10!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Awakening, from the song by The Damning Well feat. Danny Lohner**

 **Yes, this is a 12,000+ word chapter**

 **Yes, there is a scene of violence that I** _ **would**_ **categorize as potentially NSFW - it just depends on what you feel is suitable.**

"Where would you like to begin?" the woman sitting across the desk from Max Caulfield asked as Max fidgeted in her seat. Everyone she knew essentially pushing her into this, Max had protested up to the point of Chloe dropping her off before heading back to the apartment.

"Ugh, I don't care," Max said, leaning her head back to stare up at the ceiling, "I don't even want to be here."

"Then why _are_ you here?" the woman asked, moving from her chair to sit on the desk, ensuring the voice recorder next to her was working.

"Blah traumatic experience blah blah trauma counseling _blah_ ," Max said in a harsh tone. _I know you have nothing to do with this, Dr. Ives, but this is so freaking stupid._

This was her first actual appointment with the therapist, a request started off by Blackwell Academy shortly after she was no longer a 'missing person'. Avoiding the obvious things that needed to be covered up, Max had explained to the police officer that showed up at the apartment the morning after she had returned, she had been kidnapped and had little to no recollection of the past month. Spending most of the morning in the police station, Max had straight back to the apartment and hid herself away, Chloe having left that morning.

Becoming something of a local celebrity, Max's sudden reappearance after being declared missing had made the local news, the story of her kidnapping flashing across a few headlines. Max knew that it was dangerous, _Painting cross-hairs on my back would be less threatening,_ but she also knew that it would keep Antony and anyone else who might come after her at bay. _Capture me once, shame on you._

"Max, Blackwell Academy was kind enough to pay for this session and at least one more. Provided you speak, or open up. I'm not on your dime, so you don't have to feel obliged to tell me anything. I would really like it if you would, though," Dr. Ives said as she leaned back against the desk.

"Jesus fuck, everyone wants to know how I'm doing. Maybe I don't want them to know? Maybe I like having some things to myself?" Max blurted out, crossing her arms as she eyed the doctor in irritation, "You really want to know something?"

"Only if you want to share," Dr. Ives said with a gesture of welcome, opening her arms wide before lowering them back to her sides.

"I'm an immortal teenage vampire who takes pictures for a living. I work part-time at a school helping kids prepare for the world of photography. I _had_ a kinda live-in girlfriend who slapped me when she first saw me after I had come back only to kiss me not even a minute later and then _leave_ the next morning because she gets so heated and fucking upset. I remember it vividly because _I_ get so heated sometimes, too. She barely talks to me. I'll never look older than 16 years of age. I drink animal blood because human blood turns me into a psycho and is _gross_ , and I'm feeling fidgety because I'm hungry and you look appealing. Now. You share," Max said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, aside from the vampire bits I'm pretty sure that you need to be here, Max. The hostility and isolation, combined with what you experience, points to post-traumatic stress. Unless you actually think that you're a vampire, in which case I would like to discuss any potential drug use on your part or your partner's, Dr. Ives replied, her voice calm.

 _Ugh._

Max walked out of the small office building and shielded her eyes as a few rays of sunlight came across her vision. Her stomach still growling, Max walked down the sidewalk to a small shaded area and sat against the tree as she pulled out her metal sports bottle. Unfastening the cap, Max took a long drink and made an "Aah!" noise as she felt her hunger subside. _The taste is better, I'll give Che that much,_ Max thought as she looked at the bottle with a bemused expression before placing it back in her camera bag.

On one of the few occasions Chloe had met with Max to actually hang out since she returned from her captivity, they had experimented with improving the flavor of Max's food. Adding different kinds of spices and seasonings in an attempt to make it more palatable for Max, Chloe also wanted to dumb down the aftertaste Chloe normally encountered when kissing Max after she feeds. _Yeah, except you aren't actually kissing me, let alone even looking at me, lately, Chloe._

Settling on some wasabi, ghost pepper powder, and lime juice, the taste had become more agreeable to Max and "fucking okay" to Chloe. Max put in her earbuds as she remembered how badly the kitchen had smelled during their experiments when she heard a honk coming from down the sidewalk. Sitting up quickly, Max jogged over to Chloe as the other girl looked patiently over at the door to the office building.

"Dude, you didn't fucking bail, did you?" Chloe asked nonchalantly as Max climbed into the passenger seat, "Come on, free therapy shit. And on Blackwell's tab."

"You're free to take my other appointment, Che, if you want. Work out some of your bullshit, too," Max said, trying to hide her surprise at Chloe seeking her out. _Who's bailed on who, Chlo?_

"Whoa, let's not get crazy now. Well," Chloe said as she pulled back onto the street, "Not _too_ crazy. So, what did you think of the flavor It getting better?"

"Tastes like the dregs of a Tabasco bottle, but yeah. I like it," Max said as she patted her camera bag.

"I should totally market that shit. Get some hella prime sponsors from vamp-" Chloe started to say before looking over at Max's ashen face.

The mention of other vampires left Max emotionally shaken. Still reeling from her return almost two weeks ago, Max had periods of sleep where she would wake up screaming, her pillow drenched in blood from hours of crying. Max also admitted to herself that while she would never call herself outgoing in the first place, she had become a little more withdrawn since coming back a week and a half ago. No trips to Two Whales, Max had even turned down a dinner made by Chloe and Joyce at Joyce's house shortly after her return, welcomed to the house as David was kicked out by Chloe's mother when she found out about his altercation with Max and Chloe the morning before Max had disappeared. Joyce and David were trying to patch things up, but David had moved into a small, one-bedroom apartment in the meantime.

Max only felt comfortable around a few people, but if they wanted to see her it was up to them to come visit at her apartment. At the apartment, Max was almost how she was before Antony had taken her, save for bouts of sudden quiet and antisocial behavior. Still somewhat withdrawn at times, Max would visibly brighten when Dana, Juliet, and Kate came to visit. Kate would sometimes bring her violin and Max would pull an old acoustic guitar out from under the bed and they would just play random rhythms while the other girls listened and talked. Both Dana and Juliet had encouraged Max to resume her photography work, booking appointments with Kate tagging along as the newest addition to what was now a growing friendship between the four of them.

Chloe was the one who brought up mixed feelings in Max the most. Chloe had carried Max into the apartment from the landing after she had collapsed. Lowering Max into the bathtub, Chloe had filled the tub with steaming water and cleaned Max up in silence. Kissing the scars on Max's body while gently washing her, Chloe had fed Max cup after cup of blood while Max just numbly sat in the bathtub. Once Max was washed up, Chloe had wrapped her in a bathrobe she had brought from Joyce's and sat Max on her lap in the living room chair. Rocking Max gently back and forth, Chloe had waited in silence for Max to start speaking again.

Max started with a sniffle as she looked lifted her head from Chloe's shoulder. Looking up at Chloe, Max had planted a single kiss on Chloe's cheek, staring at the blue-haired girl as Chloe stared back. Max had been gone for weeks, with no word, and both girls felt awkward as they had expected different outcomes. Chloe had been fearful of another abandonment, wounded more so after she had become so much closer with Max than before. Max had expected Chloe to be gone, or for a lot more time to have passed since she had been taken. Her hand trembling, Max laid it upon the cheek that she had kissed and watched as Chloe's silence broke with a small sob escaping her lips.

"I...I didn't know what to think," Chloe said, looking down at Max as the other girl just stared up at her, "I was afraid that you were fucking dead, at first. I searched everywhere in town, and the nagging worry that you had ditched me began to creep up."

"Che...," Max said as she rubbed the thumb of her hand on the cheek she was cradling.

"A part of me knew, _knew_ , that you wouldn't pull something like that again. You love me like I love you...but I've been hella fucked over before, Max, so I began to second-guess everything you had said to me since you came back," Chloe said, a look of anxiousness on her face as she waited for Max's response.

"I would never do that to you, Che. I'm just glad you're still here, I was so scared of what I might be coming back to," Max said, laying her head back down on Chloe's shoulder.

"I'm just glad you're back, Max," Chloe said shakily, tilting her head to see that Max had nodded off.

When Max had woken up, she was in her bed and Chloe was gone, what belongings she had brought from Joyce's house taken with her. Walking around the apartment, Max noticed a note taped to the fridge.

 _I know it's not your fault, Max,_ Max read as she scanned her eyes across Chloe's letter, _I know you didn't ask for whatever happened to you to happen. I'm sorry it did. But you disappeared. Again. As happy as I am that you're back I'm just as terrified of this happening again, and I don't know how to deal with that. You probably think I'm being an asshole for taking off, and I kinda feel like one, but we got so close when you came back and it was_ _ **ripped from me**_ _. I don't honestly know where to go from here. I'm going to need some time to myself. I won't disappear, but I think we need to cool our jets, dude, and figure some things out._

 _I'm sorry,_

 _Chloe_

Chloe had warmed back up to Max slowly, _very_ slowly, but it was still incredibly awkward between them as Max felt heartbroken from Chloe's distance towards her and Chloe already _was_ heartbroken. Chloe would try to get Max to hang out with her at the junkyard or Two Whales, but Max would turn her down because she just didn't feel comfortable around groups of people in public settings yet. In turn, Chloe would shoot down Max's requests to hang out at the apartment, or to come over when Dana and the others were there for a visit. Max was still surprised that Chloe had picked her up, looking out the passenger side window as she sat in the truck with Chloe speeding through Arcadia Bay. Max took in the surroundings through the window in an attempt to calm herself down, and to avoid the emptiness in her chest every time she looked at Chloe.

"That bad, huh?" Max heard Chloe ask. Turning so that she was facing forward, Max looked over at the smirking Chloe, "Oh shit. You didn't eat her, did you? Bad Max, bad!"

"Woof, smart-ass. And no, no therapist on the menu. In all honesty I would be afraid to even if I wanted to. I think she might be taking some of her own stash," Max said, remembering the initial hazy, glass-eyed look on Dr. Ives face as she had entered the office, "So, enough mumbo-jumbo. So what now?"

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, sounding confused.

"...Are you here to fucking torture me, Chloe?" Max asked with a frustrated grunt, "Is this some type of penance I have to endure? Never mind that I was _kidnapped,_ but the night I come back you're all extra lovey-fucking-dovey only to take off before I wake up the next day. I can count on one hand the number of times we have talked."

"Dude, that is _not_ my fucking fault," Chloe said with an edge to her voice, "You know how I feel. And I _try_ to get you to leave your stupid apartment, but you're hella paranoid."

"Oh, so my home is 'stupid', now? The place you crashed for the month I was gone. Is it stupid because I'm there?" Max asked, meeting the tone of Chloe's voice.

Chloe pulled over to the side of the road and switched her truck's ignition off, fuming at Max as she spun to face the equally-angry girl sitting near the passenger door.

"I didn't pick you up to start a fight, but if that is what you want then fucking bring it, _brat_ ," Chloe said, using one of her pet words for Max with an insulting tone, "You disappear, after a fucking amazing week. Yeah, I get it wasn't on you, but you _dis-a-fucking-ppeared._ It was like five years ago, all over again. And I now know that it could happen again. I dunno, Max, maybe all the shit you've told me and all the shit I've seen from you hit me when you came back."

"I didn't fucking run away, goddamnit. If you knew what I'd been through-" Max started to say, only to stop when Chloe let out a bitter laugh.

"But I don't! You won't tell me! I'm in the goddamn dark on so many things with you, Max, that it's like I'm stumbling around you. You don't talk about _anything_ except us, or Blackwell, or anything that doesn't involve the three years you disappeared off the face of the earth. Fuck! How can something like that be healthy, for either of us!" Chloe snapped, swinging her door open with an angry shove.

Max watched in silence as Chloe flipped off a car that honked at her as it nearly hit Chloe's door, the taller girl yelling after the vehicle that fueled her ire. Practically stomping over, Chloe wrenched open the passenger door and gestured for Max to get out. Max slid out of the truck and looked at Chloe with a sullen expression, Chloe choosing to ignore the pain both of them were feeling. _I don't want it like this, Chloe! I want to tell you everything! I want to give you_ _ **everything**_ _! Don't keep me locked out, please! How can you hate me so much?_

"How can you hate me so much?" Max blurted out, not catching herself as thought became spoken word. Max saw Chloe flinch at the unguarded pain in Max's voice, "H-How can everything we shared be _gone_?"

"...I need to go," Chloe said, looking away from Max for a moment before sliding into her truck from the passenger side. Max watched as Chloe grabbed onto the steering wheel with shaking hands. Closing the passenger door, Max kicked at Chloe's truck before storming off, not bothering to pay Chloe any further attention.

Making it to her apartment, Max saw Dana standing on the landing with Kate as she made her way up the steps. Kate looked down in her direction with a smile on her face only to grow concerned as she eyed the redness of Max's eyes and the look of despair on her face. Max sighed as Kate descended the steps and met Max halfway in a warm hug.

"Chloe again?" Kate asked, giving Max a light squeeze. Max looked up to see Dana walking down to join them. Feeling the extra force of another person hugging her, Max felt herself begin to break down again.

"I-I didn't ask to be taken away," Max said, thinking of the instant she awoke in the submerged box, of the vision of Chloe at the lighthouse with rivers of tears streaming down her eyes as their hearts broke, "I-I just want her back so bad." Max cried in Kate's arms as Dana looked at Max with concern.

"We can always come by another time," Dana said with deep concern, putting a hand on Max's free shoulder, the other occupied by Kate's resting head.

"N-n-no...no," Max said, exhaling sharply as she began to calm herself down, "No. I will...I will be okay. I guess. C'mon, I've got your latest shoot finished, and I wanted to show you two some of the landscape work I've been doing. The local tourism office has kinda been working me to the grindstone since I've been back."

"The work helps, right? Keeps you occupied?" Kate asked as she took Max's hand.

"It helps," Max somberly replied, nodding. Max felt relief in Kate's grip, the steady beat of her friend's heart giving her an echo of the comfort she felt with Chloe's touch. _Had felt. I don't know, I just don't know. Ugh, Chloe! Just ugh. And crap._

Max sat on the couch, _Couch version two-point-oh_ to Max, as she spread out the prints from Dana's shoot as well as the various shots of Arcadia Bay she had taken over the past week. Throwing herself into her work to try and keep her mind off of the missing month and Chloe, Max was busy with her photography and Blackwell Academy.

Returning with something of a second debut at the school, Max had asked Principal Wells and Mr. Jefferson if they even still wanted her around to be offered a freelance job from Mr. Jefferson as a second pair of eyes for his students' benefit. Because of her trauma, Blackwell had not only footed the bill for her therapy, _Do not want!,_ but also had her come in an extra day. Three afternoons a week, for two hours, Max helped Mr. Jefferson as a fresher set of eyes in the world of indie, gonzo photography. Max showed the students how to not only find new creative means in their photographic work, but also some of the various tools of her own unique take on the trade. Her old Polaroid, a more traditional analog camera, a digital camera, and a helmet cam were brought to class every day so that the students could experiment with Max's blend of photo-taking.

Max kept Dana and Kate until it nightfall, ordering pizza and chatting about things they had been up to outside of class. Kate was visibly brighter than Max had ever seen her. _Of course, dummy, because all you ever saw of her before was Kate in a depressed state. But it's nice to see her smiling and laughing, looks so much more natural to her. Dana's a sweetheart, too, taking Kate under her wing as a friend. At least I have friends to fall back on_. Looking at her phone, Max told the girls that it was probably best if they ended their visit as it was a school night.

"Okay, Mom," Dana said with a chuckle as she gave Max a hug, "Hey, it will be okay. _You_ will be okay. Yeah?" Dana said, comforting Max with a hand on her cheek.

"Whatever you say, 'Daughter'," Max replied with a chuckle. Giving both girls tight hugs, Max walked them to the door and waved as they ran off to try and catch one of the late-night bus runs.

Max was taking a drink from her sports bottle in the kitchen when she saw her phone go off from its place on the coffee table. Setting the bottle down, Max looked down at the phone in shock as a message notification from Chloe lit up the lock screen. Swiping the phone open, Max thumbed the message tab open.

 **Chloe: ...can we talk?**

 **Max: I don't kno.**

 **Max: Can we? Can you?**

 **Chloe: Max, stop. Plz.**

 **Max: ...fine. Where? Here?**

 **Chloe: Neutral ground. 2 whales**

 **Max: how is that neutral**

 **Chloe: Mom's off work. Neutral ground.**

 **Chloe: Unless you don't wanna**

 **Max: fine. on my way**

 **Chloe: k**

 **Chloe: c u soon**

Max sighed as she put her phone back on the coffee table. Part of her didn't even want to _look_ at Chloe, much less meet her at the diner her mother practically ran. _I feel bad. The tension between us bled into Joyce and Chloe too, I bet. Maybe I should have gone to that dinner. Ugh, Chloe fucking Price!_ Sighing again, Max walked over to her rack of clothes and changed back out of her oversized t-shirt and into a black and red flannel plaid t-shirt with black shorts and her combat boots. Putting her hair up into a ponytail, Max went to the bathroom to give herself a once-over. Not having gotten her hair cut since she had returned, Max's hair now went a little past her shoulder. _I'm so used to my usual 'do. But I kinda like the length of this. Swish!_ Max thought as she twisted her head back in forth in a moment of humor, her slightly longer ponytail swishing behind her head. _Battle stations, Max Caulfield. You're possibly going to war. Your heart may die out there, but you won't know until you try._ Max shook the jitters out of herself and made for the hallway, locking the door behind her as she left the apartment. _Time to meet my doom_.

Max arrived at Two Whales before Chloe, peeking into the parking lot to see no sign of the truck before passing it as she made her way inside. Max numbly dragged her feet to a booth in the corner of the diner and sat facing away from the door. Seeing a cup of coffee put on the table, Max didn't bother to look up at the waitress as a menu was slid in front of her. Handing the menu back, Max told the waitress she would probably just be taking coffee tonight, the waitress walked away without so much as a word. Gingerly sipping at the dark beverage, Max thought about putting in some creamer, but thought with a smirk that the bitterness was appreciative. _Bitter day, bitter week, bitter me, bitter drink. Heh, I rhymed._ Max took small sips, never putting the small cup down on the provided saucer, and felt her hand involuntarily shake as a familiar smell wafted in from behind her.

If Max's heart were still beating, she swore it would have shut down as Antony took the seat from across her. Signaling the waitress over for another coffee, Antony casually glanced over at Max as the her mind began to flood her with memories of the box, of being tortured and chained away while Chloe slowly resented her all over again. Putting the coffee down with intent to not break the cup as she clutched at it, Max slid her hands under the booth to hide the fact that her hands were both shaking and clenched into fists.

"Y-Y-You," Max stuttered, somewhere between terror and rage, "You d-do what you did to me and j-just come back like everything is f-fine?"

"Ah, thank you," Antony said as the waitress came over with his coffee, "I will have...what would you suggest, Max?" Antony asked, looking over at Max calmly as she seethed.

"The pie is good here, especially the cherry," Max said through gritted teeth, forcing herself to smile as the waitress was eyeing her funny.

"Two slices of cherry pie, then," Antony said with a grin, raising his finger before the waitress turned around, "Wait. Um, perhaps a scoop of ice cream for each slice? Thank you so much, my dear."

Max watched Antony as he scanned the diner's interior with a once-over before directing his attention at Max. Max felt herself shiver as he looked at her.

"Am I going back in a box?" Max sputtered as she tried to calm herself down.

"It was suggested," Antony said nonchalantly, "Dumb luck that you were discovered so soon, I suppose, but not really. The truth is, something rather went to shit while you were confined. Something that required the hands of one who has no problem killing her own kind."

"Y-You make it sound like I enjoy that, like I don't just do it to survive," Max said, her upper lip curling in a sneer as Antony sipped at his coffee.

"Do you know what we call you, 'we' at least being the vampire community outside of the United States. Ripper. You slashed your way through Central Europe, the UK, and then turned back towards Eastern Europe. Every vampire that tried to detain you met with a, well, rather spectacularly messy end."

"Because you all wouldn't leave me _alone_ , just like you're d-doing now," Max said, her terror giving way to her anger. _You hurt me and locked me away and my life has gone halfway to shit and all I want to do right now is rip out your goddamn throat because my would-be-maybe girlfriend is supposed to be sitting where you are. Fuck you fuck you fuck you._

"Yes, well, there is a reason behind our methods. Not that we all agree with those reasons, or methods. I was simply doing my duty, Maxine," Antony said, pausing as the pies arrived, "Oh, dear, this looks delicious."

Max watched as Antony gingerly spooned a small amount of ice cream with a small piece of pie and chewed thoughtfully. A pleased expression crossing his face, Antony placed the spoon on the plate and gestured for Max to eat her slice of pie. Wanting whatever was going on to end as soon as possible, Max cut the pie into three pieces and watched Antony smirk as she inhaled the slice of pie down piece by piece. Dropping the spoon with a clatter, Max shoved the plate up against Antony's.

"I don't like vanilla. Or you," Max said as she clenched her teeth.

"I did not come here to detain you again, or to fight, Max. If you wish to, that is entirely up to you. We wish a detente," Antony said, steepling his fingers under his chin, "Something that required your early release. We'll even leave you alone, provided you agree."

"And if I don't? I assume I have no choice," Max said, folding her arms across her chest.

"No, you really don't. Please understand, while I did my duty, I _do_ regret the barbarism I inflicted upon you-"

"Too bad, so sad. What the _fuck_ do you want?" Max asked, eyebrows raised expectantly.

"...A nest of feral vampires has been moving up the coastline for the past couple weeks. While they have mostly focused on wildlife, they have very recently begun to go after...more _domesticated_ game. A group of us are gathering outside your little haven to deal with the matter. Your presence is required later tonight, as we believe they will come close to this little hamlet," Antony explained, his tone suddenly very serious.

"Feral?" Max asked, chagrined as her curiosity was genuinely piqued.

"It happens, on occasion. A nest becomes insular, until it is to the point that they are little more than beasts. Shunning outside contact, their minds become focused only on the hunt, the desire to eat and make more of their kind."

Max contemplated such a thing, and found herself shaking as she remembered how she was when drinking human blood. _Are they like that? Am_ I _like_ them _?_ Opening her mouth to speak, Max paused as a thought popped into her head.

"How many?" Max asked.

"We don't know the exact number, but you will be one of six at tonight's gathering. Myself included in that number."

"Why haven't I heard about this?"

"Because you don't watch bloody television, I'm assuming. 'Slasher victims found!' 'Mysterious trail of bodies!' Perfect for the tabloids, but America's news networks have never really gotten their priorities straight. Now, tonight. 2am at the city limits on the south end of Arcadia Bay," Antony said as he stood up from the booth, "Oh, your date seems to have arrived."

Max spun in her seat to see Chloe looking at Antony with a puzzled expression as the two passed each other. Slowing her pace down, Chloe eyed Max as they glanced at each other before the blue-haired girl took a seat. Dressed in an olive drab tank-top and black jeans, Chloe was wearing a new black beanie that she tugged at. Looking at the unfinished food left behind by Antony, Chloe looked up at Max with a wary expression.

"I interrupt something?" Chloe said, her voice edgily sarcastic.

"No. Just my captor coming to invite me to a slaughter," Max said in exhaustion. _I get_ him _dropping his crap on me and now Chloe. Wowsers, this night is just great._

"Wait, you had pie with the dude who kidnapped you? Max, are you _high_?" Chloe asked incredulously, her eyes widening.

"Only on life, Price, only on life. So. I'm here. Let's 'talk'."

"Dude, I really don't want to fight."

"And I don't want to feel like this is going to suck, but I do," Max said, rolling her eyes as Chloe snorted at the work _suck_.

"It doesn't have to end in heartache and sniffles, Max. Maybe if we just listen to each other-" Chloe said before getting interrupted by Max.

"I fucking miss you, Che," Max said plaintively, both her voice and face expressing the pain she felt as Chloe winced at Max's use of her pet name, "We promised each other forever, and you left me when _I_ needed _you._ "

"...I can't help it if things go to shit every time you bail, Max," Chloe said, resting her face in her hands, "Ugh, this sucks! I wish we were just...I...I fucking miss you, too. I just don't know if that's enough to mend whatever is between us."

"Chloe, I told you that I wouldn't leave unless you were right beside me. I need you to believe that, and I can't genuinely apologize for something that was out of my control," Max said, hesitantly reaching out to touch Chloe's arm. Seeing that Chloe didn't pull her arm back, Max gently lowered it until she had her hand over Chloe's and lightly squeezed.

"Max...you disappeared and I thought you were dead or just _gone._ My heart _broke_ , Max, it fucking broke and I'm still trying t-to just _feel_. I was so numb. Putting up the flyers with my mom, combing through the entire town and the area outside Arcadia, each day was progressively worse. I just shut everything down, and made myself come to the conclusion that you had run off," Chloe said, wiping a tear away in frustration as she fought to not break down.

"Chloe, did you _intentionally_ make yourself hate me?" Max asked, withdrawing her hand only to see Chloe look up in heartbreak at the loss of her touch, "H-how could you do such a thing?"

" _Because it's what I needed, Max!_ " Chloe half-shouted, lowering her voice when she noticed the waitress looking in their direction, "Do you know how it feels to have your heart ran over by everyone you ever cared about, every person you've ever loved? My dad dies, you bail, Rachel ditches me, and you disappear on me _again_. The best choice for me, the _only_ choice I could process _,_ was to say 'fuck it' to all of you and mean it."

 _"_ But I am here _now_ , Chlo, and I will not let anyone take me away from you," Max said as she returned her hand to Chloe's _,_ intertwining her fingers to Chloe's visible relief.

"But...but you can't _promise_ me that, Max," Chloe said, her voice breaking as she fought the urge to cry.

"I can't promise a lot of things, Che," Max said, using her other hand to gently lift Chloe's chin so that they were looking at each other in the eye, "I can't promise tomorrow, but I can promise _right now_. I don't just need you, or want you, Chloe Price. I _love_ you. I've loved you since I was thirteen, since you were my first kiss up in your bedroom. Remember? You thought we were practicing for some imaginary future wedding?" Max grinned as she saw Chloe's eyes light up a bit at the memory.

"'Future astronaut wedding in space', complete with freeze-dried ice cream and pureed cake because-"

"-because in space no one can cut a cake," Max said as she finished Chloe's recollection. Both girls chuckled as they pictured how they were five years ago, "You kissed me, pretending I was some 'future astronaut husband' or something."

 _"_ Well, yeah. Because it's in space," Chloe said as gripped on Max's hand and slid it up from her chin to her cheek, "Who else was I going to marry?"

"Me, Chloe. _Me._ "

Chloe sputtered as the weight of what Max said hit her, the memory of Max's soft lips on her own for the first time all those years ago.

"But we were-"

"The second I kissed you, I knew. I looked in your eyes and saw my universe, my adventure, in you, Che," Max said, "And I want you to be a part of mine. I want to tell you everything, if you'll have me back." Max took her hands back and sat up in her bench, waiting as Chloe took in everything they had said. Max's heart nearly broke when Chloe got out of her booth, only for her to feel herself burn with joy as Chloe slid herself in so that she was sitting next to Max.

"Please, can we just be together now?" Chloe asked, leaning her head against Max's shoulder as tears rolled down her cheeks, "Can I let you have my heart?"

"You already have mine, Che. You've had it for years, so it's only fair I get yours," Max replied, pulling off Chloe's beanie to kiss her on the crown of her head. Feeling Chloe nuzzle up against her neck, Max felt her eyes get watery and grabbed a napkin. Wiping small spots of red from her face, Max's body felt electric as Chloe's heartbeat echoed through her body. The sensation surged as Chloe sat herself up only to cup Max's chin and lean their foreheads together. They didn't need a kiss as a sign of their bond mending, not anymore. A simple touch, a gesture of love, was enough for their mutual feelings to come across. Chloe and Max laughed in short spells as they intertwined both their hands together, their foreheads still pressed against one another. They held that pose for a while, breaking their unification only at the sound of the waitress coughing as she put the check on the table. Both girls looked away in embarrassment before Max composed herself and paid the bill.

Letting Chloe gently pull her out of Two Whales and to the truck, Max let out a surprised "oof!" as Chloe tugged a little harder so that she was now holding Max around the waist. Neither girl waiting for permission, their lips met halfway as a month of tension melted in a moment of unbridled love. _I need you, love you, want you forever. Che, my love, I will never let you go_ ever _,_ Max thought as she held onto the kiss as long as possible. Chloe pulled back after a minute or so, gasping lightly only to plunge herself into Max's lips again.

"Can we go to your place?" Chloe said, kissing Max between words and breath as she led both of them to the driver's side of her truck. Chloe let out a slight moan as Max pinned her against the door, the smaller girl's hands sliding up the inside of Chloe's tank top. With a brief sound of disappointment, Chloe looked at Max as the other girl suddenly pulled away. Chloe hesitated as she saw the serious look on Max's face. "Hey, what's wrong? Does my breath stink? Which, by the way, would be hilarious considering who I'm saying this to. Ms. Bloodbreath."

"We can go to my place, yeah," Max said, taking Chloe's hand, "but I've got some things to tell you, and I have something I _must_ do later tonight. I'm going to need all my focus on that, so make-up sexy fun will have to wait, Che."

"Was it that guy, the one I saw you with? Max, talk to me."

"When we get home, Che. When we get home," Max said, smirking as she realized that she wanted _her_ apartment to become _their_ home.

The apartment was illuminated by a single lamp switched on in the bedroom when Max and Chloe arrived, Max having left it on by accident. Chloe moved to the light switch around the corner of the hallway when Max gently grabbed the reaching hand and instead led Chloe to the bedroom. Gently sitting Chloe down on the bed, Max joined her as she folded her legs into a cross-legged position.

"When I said that I had done... _terrible_ things, Chloe, I want you to understand the weight of what I mean. Out of the three years I was gone, I spent a large portion of the last two on the run. I traveled all across Europe, Japan, the United States. I had opportunities to improve my photography skills along the way, sure, but I was only given those opportunities because I was running from place to place while looking for somewhere to hide," Max said, pausing to let Chloe take her words in. Seeing Chloe look at her and nod to continue, Max coughed a little before speaking up again.

"I was pursued, for killing the vampire that made me. I was at a party in Seattle, back in 2010, and someone spiked my drink with...I don't know what. I remember being led to a building near the parking lot where the party was being held, and falling through a floor...maybe down a floor. When I came to, I had been _turned,"_ Max said, taking a moment to keep herself from getting choked up.

"Hey. It's okay. I'm here now," Chloe said as Max wiped a tear from her eye, "Please, Max, keep going...if you want..."

"...I killed him. He was stupid and turning me was an accident. My life was over and a new one forced on me by an _accident_ , Che. I remember bits and pieces...but I know that I killed him. I was taken in by the boy's mentor, Henri, and shown how to control myself. Henri took the life of a vagrant so that I would be able to feed. It was the first blood I had, and the only time I've ever fed off a human," Max said, stopping as she rubbed her hands together like she was trying to wash something off of them.

"So you've never...actually fed off of someone who was still alive?" Chloe asked, the relief in her voice catching Max's attention. Chloe gave an apologetic smile as she saw Max's crestfallen reaction.

"No. No, I haven't. It's one of the reasons I stay away from human blood. In three years I've had human blood...I can still count the times with only one hand. Two of them were here in Arcadia Bay, so I guess this place isn't as much of a 'safe haven' as I thought. Anyway, I thought I was safe with Henri when I went to France with him but it turns out that there was some type of...I dunno, vampire 'government' or rulers...whatever, there were people in this community and they wanted to do something about my having killed one of my kind." Max looked over as she heard Chloe gulp, "Oh my Dog, are you _enjoying_ this?"

"Max, you've never told me this stuff before. I'm not enjoying _it_ , so much as that you're trusting me with it," Chloe said with a smile, taking one of Max's hands in her own, "Keep talking if you want, you don't have to share all at once."

"Good, because I don't know if I can. I don't know if I can look you in the eye if I were to spill it all out in a single night," Max said with a sigh of relief as she bumped Chloe's forehead with her own, "But there are...important things, things that are immediate, that you need to know. The man who took me, the guy in the diner, is called Anton. He's...well, I think he's some kind of enforcer for whatever it is that's in charge...thinks it is in charge, and he came with a message. If I help him and some others take care of a nest of vampires that are making their way near here, they will leave me alone. I can be with you, Che, and you won't have to worry about me being taken ever again." Max watched Chloe break out into a huge grin before suddenly looking very worried.

"...What does this mean, exactly?"

"I have to help them kill the nest, and they don't know how many there are," Max said simply, her shoulders slumping.

"...Could you...possibly...," Chloe said, only for Max to reply by placing a finger on Chloe's lips.

"I will... _am_...coming back to you, Chloe Price. Do not doubt that _ever_ again," Max said with a stern, heartfelt tone.

"Shouldn't you be revving up then, like getting hella hardcore or something?" Chloe asked, standing up and gesturing to the kitchen, "We've gotta get your tank full, Max. Will your little cocktail keep you juiced?"

"I would say yes, normally, but I don't know how many I will be facing, Chloe. I've fought two-on-one at the max, let alone...oh, _stop,_ Che," Max said, placing her hands on her hips as Chloe started to giggle.

"'The Max!' Oh, fuck, you pun without even realizing it. That's some good shit," Chloe said, nearly folding over from laughing. Max waited for her dork to finish. _Laugh it up, you blue, dorky fuzzball._

" _Anyway._ I don't know, Chloe. Human blood and me...well...," Max said, embarrassed at the idea of discussing how the blood affected her with Chloe, "It...changes me..."

"Whoa, do you turn into a fucking beast or something? Like, sprout claws or some shit?" Chloe said, jerking up as she became even more curious.

"I don't remember everything...but it's like I get cold inside and all my control goes out the window. I become, well, let's just say they have a nickname for me...," Max said, holding her right arm with her left hand in awkwardness.

"Dude, you have to spill? Is it something cool? Max the Destroyer? Max de la Muerte?"

"You are enjoying this too goddamn much," Max said, rolling her eyes, "I wish I hadn't said that last bit."

"Too late, Maxaroni. Now...share," Chloe said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"...Ripper...," Max said with a whisper.

"Dude, _say it._ You might have hella good hearing but some of us still work with our initial specs," Chloe said with a smirk as she goaded Max on, "C'mon, fucking spill!"

"I am called 'Ripper' among other-"

"Holy fucking shit, that is so cool!" Chloe said with a giggle, "My girlfriend is a total badass! Max the Ripper! Wait. You're not like some creepy Freemason that kills prostitutes, are you?"

"I _told_ you we shouldn't have watched _From Hell_ when we were kids, but noooooo," Max countered, falling back onto the edge of the bed, "This shit isn't funny, Chloe. I didn't want you to hear, or see, this side of me. _I hate it,_ Chloe, _I hate that I am like this._ "

Chloe sat down next to Max and brushed some of the hair that had escaped Max's ponytail over her ear. Wiping away at a part of Max's cheek, Chloe planted a soft kiss on the same area before bumping her head against Max's.

"I'm glad you told me. And I expect to hear more, but for right now just know that what you said doesn't change how I feel," Chloe said as she put a hand on Max's shoulder, "We've got our own shit to deal with, you and me, but we can get through your stuff together. Isn't that what a relationship is all about?"

"...So you want to be in an _actual_ relationship with me, like for cereal? Max asked, looking out of the corner of her eye at Chloe.

"I'm saying yes, but I'm also saying we will take it a bit more slowly than before you vanished. I want to get to know you, _all_ of you, and I want to make myself more comfortable _for_ you. I know I can fucking turn on a dime, and I'm willing to work at this," Chloe said as she lifted their intertwined fingers to eye level, "if you're willing to fight for it."

Max kissed their joined hands and snickered when Chloe quickly did the same, albeit with a little more dramatic flair than Max had. Max stopped giggling when she saw Chloe suddenly get very serious. Once again standing up, Chloe released Max's hand as she began to pace back and forth, and Max became curious as to what she was up to.

"My turn to tell you to speak, Chloe," Max said, her face becoming as serious as Chloe's, "What're you thinking?"

"You can't know what strength you'll need to be at."

"Yeah."

"And you're not sure if the blood you have is strong enough to keep you jakked up."

"Also yeah. Where are you going with...no, Chloe, don't you fucking dare-"

"Max...you need to drink me," Chloe said in complete seriousness, stopping her pacing to stand directly in front of the still-seated Max. Chloe tried to grab Max by the shoulders but cursed softly when Max sprinted to a corner in the darkened living room.

"No, Chloe! Fuck no!" Max shouted from the living room as she saw Chloe walk towards her in the dark with a determined look on her face. _Jesus fuck, Che, what the hell are you thinking?!_

"Max, stop and listen to me. I want you to come back, _I need you to_...but how can I trust that if you're not at full strength," Chloe said, her voice imploring.

"I will _not_ feed on you, Chloe Price. How can you even bring up such an idea?"

"Because it's all you _have,_ Max! These other vampires you're working with, they're coming soon?"

"...Yes," Max said with a defeated tone in her voice. _Chloe Price being logical is the first sign of the Apocalypse, I swear to_ DOG.

 _"_ Then there is no time to waist," Chloe said, moving to where she was inches from Max. Max flinched as Chloe bared her neck at Max's face, "Do it. Oh, goddamnit Max!" Chloe cursed louder as Max fled again to the kitchen. Chloe grabbed Max by the arm as the other girl was about to chug down an entire jug of not-human blood, "Would you woman up and _bite me already_?"

Max began to shake as Chloe continued to shove her bared neck in Max's face, Max shaking her head emphatically as Chloe watched her from the corner of her eye. Max was lurched forward as Chloe let out a frustrated grunt and dragged Max to the bedroom. Letting Max go, Chloe fell onto the bed and laid there with her arms outstretched.

"Fucking _bite_ me!" Chloe said, "Please, Max. I'm serious. If you need to...you can."

"I...I don't want this..." Max said, whimpering as Chloe looked at her with a compassionate smile.

"We don't want a lot of things to happen, Maxaroni, but sometimes we _need_ what we want least. Just...just don't bite too hard, okay?"

"B-but I've never done this b-before..." Max said, sitting on her knees at the foot of the bed, "I don't know if I trust myse-"

"I trust you," Chloe interrupted, and Max felt something give inside of her, a wall that came crashing down as she saw the absolute trust in Chloe as the other girl looked at Max with all her walls of toughness gone.

Max gazed at the blue-haired Chloe and saw the girl she had fallen in love with five years ago, the brave wild-child who had taken her on so many adventures. The girl who had been her first kiss, and only love. Looking at Chloe's still form, watching only her chest move as she took in steady breaths, Max looked for a place to bite her that would be inconspicuous. _Neck? Obiviously_ not, _Stupid. Her upper arm? Ehh, no. What about...?_ Looking up at Chloe as she hovered over Chloe's body, Max looked at her with an anxious expression.

"Could you...maybe...take your pants off?" Max asked, feeling very bashful as Chloe gave her a grin in reply.

"You sure are kinky, Max Caulfield," Chloe said with the same grin still on her face as she unbuttoned her jeans and let Max slide them off.

Gently spreading Chloe's legs out, Max's face hovered inches from Chloe's inner left thigh. Max could hear the beat of the artery in the lean extremity, placing her ear against it. Max looked up when she heard a chuckle as Chloe looked down at her with an amused expression.

"Dude, if you're going to do it then just _go._ Just...just be gentle. You're popping your vampy cherry _and_ mine, remember?" Chloe said, running her fingers through Max's hair for a moment before closing her eyes and lying head back.

Max pictured blood in her mind and felt the memory of its taste on her tongue, how it messed with her head, and how _good_ she remembered feeling. _It's like a freaking drug, and tonight Chloe is_ my _dealer_. _Crap._ Popping her fangs out, Max slid her partly-opened mouth along Chloe's leg, dragging her lower lip against the skin. Hearing Chloe moan slightly, Max realized she was being kind-of sensual about it and wondered if this was instinct or if it was because she was going to be feeding from a girl she is in love with. Mentally shrugging, Max braced herself and let her fangs sink into Chloe's leg, eyes clamped shut as the first trickle of blood made its way into her mouth.

The blood was so good, so pure, as the first drops ran down her throat. Max's previous encounters with human blood were nothing like this, ever. _Wowsers, it's like every drop of her is a living thing itself! Oh, Chloe...you fucking taste_ amazing _,_ Max thought as she took in one mouthful, then two. Max paused as she heard a moan escape Chloe's lips and began to pull her mouth back in hesitation before feeling a hand press her head down. Opening up a single eye, Max looked at the look of euphoria on Chloe's face.

"Yerr geffing off on iff?" Max asked, her mouth held onto Chloe's thigh.

"Shut up," Chloe uttered only to moan again as Max sucked a little tighter on the broken skin. Taking in two more mouthfuls, Max felt amazement at the surprising _lack_ of bloodlust she felt. Pulling Chloe's hand off her head with one arm, Max lifted herself up with the other until she was in a sitting position. Sprinting to the bathroom, Max almost instantly returned with a bath towel. Sliding the towel under Chloe's leg, Max placed a long bandage on the bite marks and wound some gauze around the leg. She watched expectantly as Chloe gingerly sat up, Max looking away as she saw the flushness of Chloe's face.

"I can't believe you got off on that," Max said with an incredulous tone.

"Don't knock it until you try it. You, however, actually _can't_ try it...well, my part of 'it'," Chloe said as she placed a kiss on Max's lips as the other girl turned to face Chloe. Wiping her own blood from her lips, Chloe quirked an eyebrow and nudged Max with her shoulder, "So, how did I taste?"

"You...you tasted alright," Max said, embarrassed at the new line of questioning.

"I tasted 'alright'? That's it?"

"You were fucking incredible, okay?! Fuck, Chlo!" Max said, turning around to face Chloe directly, then wincing as she saw the look of shock on Chloe's face, "What?"

"Dude, it's like your eyes are fucking black mirrors or something...," Chloe said, a hand gently probing Max's face.

"What-?"

A knock at the door broke their moment of awkward intimacy as they both jumped at the sudden invasion on their moment. Not hesitating, Max tossed Chloe her jeans and sprinted to the door. Looking through the peephole she had installed a week ago, Max saw Antony and a person she did not know standing impatiently outside. Unlocking the door, Max swung it open and eyed both men suspiciously.

"Now?" Max asked in surprise.

"Now," Antony said, then smirked at the small smear of blood on Max's face, "Did we catch you at a bad time?"

"What?" Max asked, confused, then gasped as Antony gestured she had something on her face, "I am _so_ thankful I don't f-fucking blush anymore, Dog!"

Max led the two men in as she wiped at her face with the back of her hand. Sprinting next to Chloe, who was now rummaging through the refrigerator, Max swatted Chloe's hand away from a beer that Chloe had left behind when she'd been staying here.

"Hey!" Chloe said, rubbing her swatted hand.

"I just _fed_ off you, Che. Do you _really think_ beer is the best thing for you?" Max asked irritably, grabbing a Pepsi and gently shoving it into Chloe's chest. Hearing Chloe grumble, Max gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and led her back to the bedroom, "It's time."

Max gasped a little as Chloe suddenly sprung off the bed and latched onto Max with a tight hug. Feeling Chloe shake a little, Max ran her fingers through Chloe's hair and gave her a few kisses on the cheek.

"Come back to me," Chloe whispered in her ear, eliciting a grin from Max.

"Always," Max replied in kind, gingerly biting on Chloe's ear.

"Hey, I'm not a goddamn buffet. Specifically a one-plate special."

Grinning, Max grabbed a black leather jacket from her rack of clothes and gave Chloe one last kiss on the forehead before walking back into the living room. Sliding her arms through the jacket and sipping it up all the way, Max put her hands on her hips and beckoned for her awkward guests to move for the door.

"Lock the door!" Max shouted down the hall before closing it, hearing a "Yeah, yeah" from Chloe as the door shut with a _click._

"You finally done?" the man accompanying Antony said. He was dressed in a long jacket with blue jeans and a tattered white t-shirt. His accent was British like Antony's.

"Yes, I'm _finally_ done. We going to bicker, or are you going to fucking move?" Max asked with a hand on her hip. _Chloe, you are a godsend. Is it you, keeping my thoughts so clear, the part of you that is now a part of me? I feel liberated,_ alive.

Sprinting down to the beach, the three vampires all collectively felt relief at the empty state of their surroundings. Sprinting along the beach, Max felt the wind smack across her face with a glee. Partly from the upcoming violence, partly from how clear her mind was, Max silently thanked Chloe over and over for her help in what came ahead. Max felt like herself, and yet _not_ like herself. The ferocity that came with the blood, and the fighting, was there. It was held in check, however, but a clarity that Max had never experienced while under the power of human blood. _Maybe it's because of how strong our bond is, or because I can't get her out of my head right now. I love you, Che, I_ fucking _love you_. _I'm going to need everything you gave me, soon, and you'll be with me when I do this._

Watching as they approached the treeline that skirted around the south end of Arcadia Bay, Max saw through her vision a small cluster of vampires hiding just out of sight from the main road. Feeling the other two vampires she was with slow down, Max decided to push herself and sprang forward. Nearly colliding with one of them, Max spun in mid-air and landed on a fallen tree in a perching position. Grinning madly, Max snapped her head up and felt her grin try to go even further as she recognized two of the people standing near by.

"Maeve! Stephen!" Max cried out as she ran over to the two grinning twin redheads, clutching onto both of them as they awkwardly laughed, "Wowsers, I thought you said you'd _never_ come to the States! You got dragged here for _this_?"

"'Ello, Max," Maeve said as she punched Max in the arm. Sporting shoulder-length red hair that was curled into ringlets, Maeve was sporting a military surplus jacket and black tank-top with shorts that came up to her thighs, ankle boots with the laces tucked in, "Dinna expect _you_ to be the 'local' Antony mentioned. S'good ta see ya."

Max nodded and looked over at Stephen bashfully, the mute of the twins smiling widely as he caught Max in a bear hug. Dressed in a similar fashion to his sister, Stephen was sporting black cargo pants and a t-shirt that had 'Clone Club' stamped across it. Swinging her around, Stephen made his affection for the smaller vampire known as Max giggled from the look of happiness on his face.

"You all... _know_ each other?" Antony asked as he eyed the three reunited vampires, his tone slightly accusing.

"They sheltered me for a few months at a farm outside Cork," Max said, patting Stephen's shoulder so that he would let her down, "We hunted _wolves_ , and they took me to some really cool hangouts."

"Our wee lil adoptee," Maeve said as she wrapped an arm around Max and kissed her on top of her head.

"You harbored a fugitive?" Antony asked, an unpleasant tone in his voice.

"Pffft," Maeve chuckled, letting Max go as she made a move to stand between Max and Antony. Both vampires grew tense before Stephen interjected with his arms raised at both his sister and their temporary leader.

"...Fine. Whatever. I knew you all were acquainted. It's why I brought you two. Well, that and you're good fighters," Antony said, muttering something under his breath before coughing, "Max, this is Sheffield and Montrose, two of my associates."

The two men Max introduced were dressed almost exactly like Antony, all black, save for the more anxious looking one. His hair slicked back, the guy who curtly nodded at "Montrose" wore what looked like chain mail under his long jacket and his eyes darted back and forth.

"Uh, you okay?" Max asked, shooting Montrose a bemused look.

"She looks like she's 12," Montrose said as he looked at Antony with a facial expression that Max translated to _What the fuck?_

"Montrose, meet Ripper," Antony said, gesturing to Max, "Ripper, meet our baby boy."

"S-she's Ripper? You brought the bloody _Ripper_? Are you on something, Tony?" Montrose said, flinching as Max took a half-step toward him.

"Oh, he's so _cute_ ," Max said teasingly, her hands behind her back as she sniffed at him, "What are you, two months old?"

"I'm t-three months! So what? You're only like, what, three bloody years!" Montrose snapped back, a little too enthusiastically.

"Watch yerself," Maeve said with a snort, "She's called 'Ripper' for a reason, son."

"Three years is a hell of a lot more than three months, 'baby boy'," Max said with an exaggerated huff as she made towards Stephen and Maeve only to freeze in place. Max _felt_ something approach, followed another something. She watched as the other five vampires' eyes turned violet, "I don't even _like_ human blood and no one thought to fucking _eat_ before this? Are you all fucking cereal?"

Max saw Maeve shrug and the others look at each other with concern before Antony silenced them all with a look. Making his way over to Max, Antony watched as she sniffed at the air. Her shoulders tensing up, Max spread her arms out slightly before sprinting forward nearly a quarter-mile. Making it in a minute or so, Max grabbed the sickly, filthy creature that was trying to scramble away. It's skin molting, _he_ had glowing yellow eyes that looked diseased to Max. Holding him at arm's length, Max waited for someone to accompany her and felt Maeve's presence after a moment.

"Forgot how bloody quick ye catch on," Maeve said as she looked at Max's catch with a repulsed expression, "Och, he's so _gross_!"

"He's diseased, probably from eating something bad," Antony said as Sheffield arrived immediately after, "Look at his skin. Sheffield?"

Max watched as Sheffield examined the creature she was still holding at arm's length. _What the crap have you gotten me into, asshole?_ Max thought as she glanced over at Antony, _What is wrong with this...guy...?_

"Clearly it's some type of blood-borne illness. Judging by the mottled skin, though, and the blackening gums I would say that it is possible they are feeding off of each other," Sheffield said, grimacing as the overpowering stench of Max's prey got caught in his nostrils. Everyone groaned in disgust only to suddenly freeze as Max snapped the infected vampire's head off with a sharp twist.

"...What?" Max asked innocently, wiping her hand on her jeans, "You _said_ they were eating from one another, didn't you? That sounds like a very bad thing!"

"Well, it is..." Sheffield stammered, "I just don't think-"

"We didn't expect it, or that you would just up and end _it_ so quickly," Antony said, putting a hand on Sheffield's shoulder to get the other man to close his gaping mouth.

Shrugging, Max closed her eyes and sniffed the air again, wondering where the other sounds and scents had gone. _Where aaaarrree youuuu?_ Max thought, fighting to control the manic glee that was rising in her system. Max thought of Chloe, how Chloe loved her and cared for her, and felt herself calm down enough that she was merely on edge. Max's eyes popped open as she picked up noises that were coming from her left, and signaled to the others that something was coming from that direction. Hearing a sudden roar, Max and the other members of Antony's group crouched as a large group of scrambling creatures like the one they Max had just killed made their way over a hilltop and headed straight for them.

Max watched as Stephen flew and Montrose jumped over her head and landed on two of the creatures, fists landing with crunching _thuds_. Not waiting for anyone to tell her different, Max leaped up and caught one of the feral vampires in mid-air, slamming it into a nearby tree that it cracked from the impact. Grabbing the stunned creature with one hand, Max shoved her other hand into its chest and ripped its heart out. Dropping the heart to the ground as she landed, Max took a step back as the crumbling body molted away like paper mache. Jerking her head up, Max grunted as one of the creatures slammed into her as it tried to bite her. Gritting her teeth, Max snapped back for a moment before slamming her hands onto either side of the creatures head, hearing a _pop_ as its jaw broke.

Taking advantage of the feral creature's moment of pain and confusion, Max grinned maliciously as she pulled on its shoulder until she felt the tear of its arm being ripped from its torso. Max giggled as she hammered away at the dying creature with its own arm, eliciting a "Holy shit!" from Montrose as some of Antony's party looked on in astonishment at the smaller girl's undaunted ferocity.

"You said they were diseased and feral!" Max shouted at the others, knowing some were staring but not acknowledging their looks, "Find somewhere else to point your eyeballs or you will _lose_ them!"

Finishing off her current prey, Max smacked it one more time with the sickly limb before dropping it and leaping after another one. Having pinned Maeve to the forest floor, the feral vampire nearly had its fangs at her neck before Max put her fist through the back of its skull, spraying Maeve in the face with a deluge of brackish fluid. Pushing the flopping body to one side, Maeve stuck out her hand and let Max help her up only to cringe as the hand she received was the one that had just spent time in someone's skull.

"Jesus, you're sick sometimes," Maeve said with a smirk as Max responded with a bright smile.

"Shut up and kill something. No one's gonna get my Chlo!" Max shouted at Maeve, sprinting forward as she pounced on one of the creatures as it scrambled away in retreat. Landing on its back, Max screamed as she grabbed it by the sides of its head and twisted, falling to the ground with it as it collapsed. Watching it twitch for a moment, Max howled as she slammed her booted foot down on its skull with a _crunch_ that satisfied her. _Get the_ fuck _away from my town! Get...the...fuck...away...from...my..._ CHLOE _!_

Max spun around with a fist raised to see a scratched-up Stephen grab her by the shoulders, his calm expression imploring Max to calm herself down. Slowly lowering her fist, Max felt her mind catch up with the events that had just occurred. _Holy fuck! That was..._

"...Awesome!" Max said in exclamation, putting her hands on her hips as she instinctively took in a deep breath and exhaled.

" _What_?" Antony asked incredulously, " _This_ was 'awesome'?"

"No no no, not _this_ ," Max said, gesturing to the gore and blood that was scattered around them, "I...I think I might be, well, getting the hang of this."

"Jesus Christ," Montrose said, a large gash across his forehead, "You're the bloody Ripper and you're _just now_ getting the hang of this?" Montrose rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, Antony clapping him on the back a second later.

"Congratulations. You actually survived," Antony said as she continued to pat Montrose on the back.

"Wait. _You thought I would_ die _out here?_ " Montrose asked with a shocked expression on his face, looking even more shocked as both Antony and Sheffield shrugged in response, "Mother- _bloody_ -fucker."

"Well, this has been...something," Maeve said with a chuckle, "But I think tha' we'll be leavin' you to yer own devices. Best me and mine be headin' home. Max? Keep in touch, and fookin' behave. Yeah?"

Running over to give Maeve and Stephen both a hug, Max kissed them both on their cheeks with her blood-covered face. Pulling back, Max beamed at her old friends before realizing how ridiculous she probably looked. _A shit-eating grinning, teenage vampire covered from nearly head-to-toe in goo and blood. I bet I look like the cover of Carrie_ or something _like that._

"Will you come back sometime, come and visit me? I _do_ live in the nearby town, y'know," Max asked plaintively, getting a wink from Stephen before the siblings sprinted off down the embankment a short ways ahead. Walking over to where Anthony and his 'associates' were gathered, Max's voice took a far cooler tone. "We're done, now. You'll leave me be."

"For now," Antony said, nodding.

"What does that mean?" Max asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Meaning that if we need you for something like _this,_ " Antony said as he gestured to the remnants of their mutual carnage, "You will be kept in touch with. Good evening, Ms. Caulfield, and behave."

Max sighed, irritated at this new information. _I'm not on freaking beck-and-call, asshole_. Trudging through the woods as she headed back to Arcadia Bay, Max unzipped her leather jacket and dumped it in a stream next to the bloodbath as she heard Montrose say to Antony "She bloody killed _half_ of them! What the fuck did you just set loose?" and grinned. Kneeling down next to the stream, Max wiped at her arm and exposed skin with the icy water as she cleaned off what she immediately could. Hearing the distant footfalls of Antony and his brood as they walked away, Max felt her body surge with unspent energy as she stood up. Her exposed skin relatively clean, Max sprinted through the woods until she was able to see Arcadia Bay. Pausing at the town limits, Max took a sharp turn and shot down toward the still-empty beach as the midnight sky loomed overhead.

Reaching her apartment after deftly avoiding what street traffic was around this late at night, Max patted her jean pockets for keys that weren't there. _Shit, I must've left them inside. Oh, crap, I look like a serial killer. Chloe's going to_ freak. Cringing, Max gently knocked on the door a few times before seeing the living room light come on from under the door. Covering the peephole, Max winced as she heard footsteps from the other side.

"Whozzit?" Max heard a groggy Chloe ask, followed by a small yawn, "Well? Whoozere?...Max? S'that you?"

"Che... _Chloe_ , could you maybe...close your eyes before you open the door? I don't feel comfortable with you seeing me like this. I don't want to scare you," Max said softly, the surge of energy she still felt fueling her growing anxiety.

"...Uh, yeah. I guess," Chloe answered hesitantly before unlocking the door.

Hearing Chloe momentarily fumble with something on the other side of the door, Max heard a _click_ and watched as the door opened. Chloe had lied, and was looking directly at Max with her eyes wide open. Moving to the side, Chloe gestured for Max to come inside and quickly locked the door behind her. With Chloe slowly walking behind her, Max felt the crustiness of her blood-caked hair and jeans begin to catch up with her, the stickiness on her skin and boots. Max looked down and sighed as she saw that she had tracked in bloody mud, then looked up at Chloe. Chloe just watched Max in silence, watched as Max pulled the bottle of Goldschlager out that they'd never finished and drained the half-empty bottle in what felt to Max like a single gulp. The alcohol gave Max a slight buzz, but also calmed her nerves and the dulled the surge of power that she felt from the blood Chloe had given her.

"So, uh, did you win?" Max heard Chloe ask in a quiet voice.

"...Are you scared?" Max responded, looking over at Chloe while tossing the empty liquor bottle in the trash can.

"...A little, dude, but I know enough from you to realize you had no choice. You should go, get cleaned up. I'll stay up," Chloe said, motioning for Max to go take a shower.

Max politely nodded and undressed right where she was standing in the kitchen, peeling her sticky clothes off and tossing them into the trash after the liquor bottle. Seeing the small smirk on Chloe's face, Max responded by giggling and giving Chloe the finger before heading for the bathroom. The water was hot as it cascaded down Max's body, reddish trails of blood and water coming off of her skin and pouring into the drain of the bathtub as Max scrubbed her entire body clean. Closing her eyes, Max let the water ripple across her face and took in a breath, letting the hot water wet her nostrils to clean the smell of blood out of her.

Opening the door, Max was wearing a towel as she saw Chloe look up from the bed, the other girl wearing a bathrobe. Patting at the side of the bed that was empty, Chloe beckoned Max to lie next to her as she disrobed and stretched out in her sports bra and boxers. Taking the towel off, Max gestured for Chloe to wait a minute before she dressed in a plain black t-shirt and a pair of green shorts. Climbing into the bed, Max hesitantly crawled next to Chloe.

"Please...I need you to not be scared of me," Max said weakly, afraid of what Chloe might be thinking of her.

"Just be honest with me," Chloe said as she looked Max in the eye, the two girls facing each other as both were lying on the bed, "If you hadn't had to do... _whatever_ this all was...would you have gone with them?"

"Oh, _Dog_ no," Max said with a huff, "Chloe, I'd be lying if I didn't say that there is something... _thrilling_...about cutting loose with my abilities, but I actually try to _avoid_ violence unless absolutely necessary." Max felt Chloe sidle up and spoon her in reply, small wet kisses dotting down the back of her neck.

"Then that's good enough for me," Chloe said as she nuzzled the back of Max's neck, "We will talk about...about _everything_...very soon. Agreed?"

Max took a hand that Chloe was using to wrap herself around Max and intertwined their fingers. Lifting up their hands to her face, Max gently kissed the back of Chloe's and and closed her eyes as she felt Chloe begin to fall back asleep.

"Agreed."

"So," Dr. Ives said as Max sat in her office, sitting on the desk once more, "You've decided to give me another chance?"

"I...I guess I owe it to Chloe, and to myself," Max said begrudgingly, "I need to work through some things, and I need to kinda find myself again."

"Well, I can't say that I am not glad about this decision, Max. I think this will be a good first step for you. On the part of your...girlfriend, is it?...will she be joining us in the future?"

"She's actually waiting out in the hall," Max said, nodding toward the door, "She wants to be here for me, but says that 'you can keep your shit to yourself'."

"I see," Dr. Ives said as she stood up from the desk and came around to sit in her chair, "And what does that make you feel, Max?"

"Chloe gave me some advice. I plan to stick with it, or at least try to," Max said as she slurped at a large Styrofoam cup with a black bendy straw.

"And what is that, the advice Chloe gave you?" Dr. Ives asked, leaning forward with a small smile.

"'B Positive'," Max said with a grin, her own little inside joke with the girl who held her undead heart in her blue-nailed hands, "I need to 'B Positive'."

 **Author's Note - Long, huh? I didn't realize how long this was going to be until I got halfway through and was all "But I don't** _ **wanna**_ **break this chapter in half!"**

 **So, you are basically getting a double-sized release. You're welcome.**

 **This changes a lot, closes some things for the time being, and opens up a few new doors.**

 **How will Chloe and Max progress?**

 **Were all the Ferals** _ **really**_ **killed in the fight?**

 **How will the events at Blackwell progress from here?**

 **Is the Beautiful Cinnamon Bun** _ **truly**_ **too pure for this world, the world in question being the AU of this story?**

 **How does vampire blood affect a healthy human being, if it turns a healthy vampire into a feral creature when ingested? *wink***

 _ **Read, review, and I will see you in Chapter 11!**_

 **-rowanred81**


	11. Chapter 11

**What Kind Of Monster Are You?, from the single by Slant 6**

"Hey, Max! Could you get the door? I'm not really... _no, don't move_...I'm not exactly at a point where I feel comfortable stopping what I am doing!" Chloe shouted at Max from the living room, the buzz of a tattoo gun emanating from her direction.

Sliding off the bed where she was situated with a number of different headshots from various people that she had worked with over the past week, Max bundled them all up and slid them back into the manila envelope she had packaged them in earlier. _They're...alright, I guess. I dunno, I'm a pessimist when it comes to my own stuff._ Stretching after having sat cross-legged for hours, Max a hand through her slightly unkempt hair and strolled through the apartment, getting a wink from Chloe as she looked up from the small workstation she had in the corner of the living room alongside a window.

Max flashed her a grin back, popping her fangs playfully for a second, before Chloe gave mouthed _Stop that!_ and gave Max a look of reproach before gently placed her client's head back on the chair's head rest. Popping her neck as she continued to loosen herself up, Max heard someone knock on the door and pulled out her phone to see what time it was. _Oh crap, it's probably Kate. Maybe Dana and Juliet, too. Ugh, the place is kind-of a mess!_ Sighing, Max unlocked the door and cracked it open, wincing as the Sun smacked her in the face with its rays.

"Uh, hey," Max said as her eyes focused after their momentary blindness, "Oh! Hi, Joyce. Um, come in," Max said with a grin as she opened the door to let Joyce in. Hearing someone else approaching, Max saw Kate come around the corner and look up as Max coughed, "I don't think right now a good time, Kate. Sorry. Chloe's mom just...well, she actually just showed up. Come by later, maybe?"

"Sure, Max. Just send me a text when you're ready for me to come over? Max...do I _really_ have to let Chloe give me a henna tattoo?" Kate asked from the ground, looking up as Max leaned over the railing on the apartment landing.

"Nah, you don't have to. But I think she wants to give you one. You've kinda been our matchmaker/couple's counselor and she wants to show you her appreciation, that's all. Plus, she likes you," Max said with a grin as she saw Kate's shoulders slump.

"A _pizza_ is thanks, Max. A tattoo, even a temporary one...what if my parents somehow find out? What if someone from school sees it?"

"You _do_ get to pick where it goes. You know that, right? Get some angel wings on your back or something like that, something that can't be easily seen. She's not going to mark your face or give you knuckle tats...at least, I don't think she will," Max said, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously. Seeing Kate stick her tongue out before waving and heading back around the corner, Max chuckled to herself before she heard an "Ugh, _Mom_! Can you _not_ make me jump when I have a giant mechanical _needle_ in my hand? Fuck!" from inside and closed the door behind her.

The apartment had gone through another renovation over the past week, Chloe gradually moving more of her stuff over from Joyce's until Max had 'surrendered' and told Chloe that she should just stop sleeping at Joyce's altogether and actually move in. Max couldn't stop grinning when she saw Chloe jump with glee before pouncing on Max, covering her face with kisses. It had been like that most of the time between since Max had come back in her bloodied state, with Chloe trying to spend as much time as she could with Max. In turn, Max had not only increased her workload but also made a point of answering some of Chloe's questions. Knowing that keeping things from Chloe was toxic for the two of them, Max was unfortunately still torn at how much she wanted to confide in Chloe. _I know that keeping things from her won't end well, that it's toxic, but I just want to see her happy like she is now. Am I wrong? Ugh, I'm just…_ so _tired of pretending like everything is alright_.

Max walked through the hallway and plopped onto the old couch that had taken the place of the cheap replacement that had been "Couch 2.0". Grinning as she sunk into the old upholstery, Max ran her fingers across the old couch she and Chloe had played on as kids. Joyce, wanting to make some changes to her house, had bought some new furniture and offered to let them have the old couch. While Chloe had looked at Joyce questioningly, Max leaped at the chance to take it. It was nostalgic, representing a piece of their lives that she wanted to preserve desperately. Not taking no for an answer, Max had promised Chloe some 'fun' in exchange for letting them put the couch in the apartment.

"So, how are you Joyce?" Max asked, sitting up as she saw Joyce leaning forward in the chair across from her on the other side of the coffee table, "You look kinda beat."

"If it's alright, Max, I'm going to just sit here for a moment until Chloe's done. There's something she needs to know, and I feel it would be better if she heard it from me and not secondhand from you," Joyce said with exhaustion.

Nodding sympathetically, Max leaned back in the couch for a second before springing out of it and walking over to where Chloe had set her small business up. Ink, needles, disinfectant, and all the other accessories for being a tattoo artist were scattered across a long wooden table set up underneath the window near the a corner of the living room. The smell of incense and pot smoke emanated from 'Chloe's Little Corner', as Max lovingly referred to it, strong enough that Max could smell it as though Chloe were in the middle of operating a head shop. Seeing that Chloe was starting to wrap up the tattoo she had finished with some plastic wrap, Max caught her attention with a small cough.

"Just gimme a sec, Max. Okay, so, be sure to use some petrol jelly on it to keep the skin moisturized and be careful with how you wash it," Chloe said as her customer got up and handed Chloe some money. Tipping her beanie, Chloe called out "Come again, dude!" to the departing gentleman. Looking over at the smirking Max, Chloe waved the small collection of $20s like they were a fan, "Oh, it's so hot in here. Lemme cool down with some greens."

"C'mon, Punky Smurf. You're mom wants to talk to you. She looks pretty cereal," Max said, hoisting Chloe onto her feet as the other girl held her arms out for Max with a silly grin.

"Shows how much I pay attention when I'm working," Chloe said, absently wiping her slightly ink-speckled hands on a faded pair of jeans she wore primarily during her 'bidness hours'.

"You _do_ tend to stay in the zone, Chlo," Max said, nodding in agreement with Chloe's words, "But you're also good. _Hella_ good."

Snickering, Chloe let Max lead her away from her workspace and over to where Joyce was patiently sitting. Bending down to give her mom a quick hug, Joyce seemed to brighten up a bit at the look of genuine happiness on her daughter's face as she curled up next to Max on what had been her old couch. Chloe laid her head against Max's shoulder as she cuddled up against the smaller girl.

"What's up, Mom?" Chloe asked, oblivious to the look of exhaustion on Joyce's face.

"Well, I thought you should know. Both of you. I'm…I'm getting legally separated from David," Joyce said, taking out a tissue from her purse to dab at her watery eyes.

Max and Chloe both immediately sat up, noticing the seriousness of Joyce's demeanor. Leaning forward, Chloe watched her mother intently for a moment before speaking up.

"Are you…are you okay?" Chloe asked, concern in her tone.

"I don't know, Chloe. We're still talking, and we are _still_ trying to work…work some things out. He's just…he gets so upset and then to take it out on others, on you and almost Max…well, I just can't really deal with that," Joyce said, thanking Max as she took the small wad of tissue paper over to the kitchen to throw it away. Max sat back down on the couch, holding Chloe's hand as she noticed her body trembling slightly.

Chloe got up from the couch a moment later, disentangling her fingers from Max's to walk over and hold her crying mother. _Chloe looks so heartbroken,_ Max thought as a frown creased her face, _I know that she hated David, but Joyce has been a wreck since the day David almost hit both Chloe_ and _me._ Getting up from the couch herself, Max walked over and joined Chloe in hugging Joyce.

"You two, you're so precious. Thank you, Max, for looking after Chloe since coming back," Joyce said, patting Max's hand while wiping her eyes dry with the back of her other hand.

"Of course, Joyce. I'm an expert at Chloe-sitting," Max said, lifting her head up to match Chloe's tongue sticking out with a smirk, "Do you…do you want some water, or some more tissue? I have a box of Kleenex in the bathroom."

"No, no. That's alright, I have some more in my purse. I just felt that you needed to know what was going on, Chloe," Joyce said, looking up as Chloe hovered over her, "I know that you two didn't get along but-"

"He made you happy, Mom. Well, some of the time. I'm…I'm here for you," Chloe said, patting Joyce on the shoulder as she stood back up. Joyce took a moment before standing up to join the two girls in another hug, looking at them with a warm, tired smile.

"I'm glad that you two have each other," Joyce said, putting a hand on each of their cheeks, "and I'm very happy for the both of you. Come and visit some, okay? With…with David more decidedly gone, you don't have as much of an excuse."

"We never felt that the situation at your house was an excuse, Joyce. We just didn't want to make things worse," Max said with a sad look of concern.

"Nice save, Max," Joyce said before letting them go. Sighing, Joyce looked over at the clock before gathering her purse from the chair, "I've got to get going, one of the new girls called in, but come over soon, ok?"

"Absolutely, Mom. We'll make breakfast for supper and totally chill while munching down on some pancakes," Chloe said, scratching at her beanie with a faint smile. Chloe's expression changed in one of mixed feelings after her mother left the apartment, however.

"Dude, I don't know how I feel about…about all that," Chloe said, plopping down into the couch, "I mean, David was a douche, but he _did_ make my mom happy. She needed that happiness after…after Dad died." Chloe wiped at her face in exasperation as Max moved from the behind the chair over to where Chloe was sitting. Gently prying Chloe's hands from her face, Max carefully took a seat in Chloe's lap and rested the other girl's head in the crook of her neck.

"I can't imagine how you're feeling, Che, but if you want to talk you know that I'm always here for you," Max said, running a finger through the blue hair sticking out from under the beanie, "I love you, Chloe Price."

"Oh? That so?" Chloe said with a smirk, "To what do I owe the sudden confession of heartfelt affectionate mush?" Max shook her head with, grinning as she playfully punched Chloe in the shoulder.

"Dork, I'm trying to be supportive," Max said with a rueful chagrin, "I know that we both say that we love each other every now and then, and that we _are_ in love. I just…it just felt like you needed to hear it right now, okay?" Max said, tucking Chloe's head back into the crook of her neck. Max smiled as she felt Chloe nuzzle up against her.

"I did need it, I still do. How much do you love me?" Chloe asked, a playful tone in her voice.

"Enough that I traveled across half the world to be with you," Max said nonchalantly, teasing Chloe with her bland tone.

"Only half?"

"I'm saving the other have for you and me, dork," Max said, pulling Chloe's beanie down so that it covered her face all the way down to her nose. Catching Chloe as she was about to speak, Max planted a soft kiss on Chloe's lips, feeling Chloe push herself into Max's lips in response. Shifting her sitting position, Max swung a leg over so that she was straddling Chloe as the kisses became more passionate. It had been like this since Max had come back from the woods outside Arcadia Bay. Chloe's offering of herself, coupled with Max's feeling of liberation at being left alone by the other vampires, had left both of them feeling less encumbered. Pulling away from Chloe every now and then to let her take in a breath of air, Max swatted Chloe's hands away every time she tried to pull her beanie up. _No touchie._

"Um, I would like to be able to see sometime, Maxaroni," Chloe said with a chuckle as she began to slap at Max's swatting hands, "Dude, fucking _stop_!"

Ceasing her swatting of Chloe's hands, Max opted to yank the beanie off in a single pull, tossing it all the way back to the bedroom. Max snorted at the unkempt hair that sprouted out of Chloe's head in all directions.

"Oh," Max said, stifling a laugh, "It's like a psychedelic bird's next, oh my Dog!" Max couldn't restrain herself anymore and laughed even harder when Chloe clamped a hand on one of her breasts. "Did you just try to shut me up with foreplay?"

"No. Yes. Maybe. Shut up, fucking nerd," Chloe said, her face turning red as she blushed from the awkwardness of her hand still hanging onto Max's clothed chest, "We were having fun sexiness and you ruined it with sarcasm and giggles, so bite me."

Chloe realized what she said a moment too late and clamped down on Max's legs. They had played this game before, and while part of Chloe loved it part of her also _fucking hated it_. Seeing the mischief in Max's eyes, Chloe looked at her with an expression that Max could only read as _Don't you fucking dare_. Giggling with a type of mad glee, Max jumped back from her position on Chloe's lap, easily escaping her hands, and slid over to where the light switch was.

"Don't!" Chloe said anxiously, standing up just as Max cut the lights, "Goddamnit, Max!"

Max giggled, the sound coming from the kitchen. Looking over in the direction of the giggle, Chloe stumbled around the apartment with her arms outstretched. Feeling the fridge, Chloe swung the door open to flood the area in front of her with a dim light. Max was nowhere to be seen.

"Psst!" Max whispered from another area of the apartment and Chloe jumped slightly before slamming the fridge shut.

"I have a shotgun filled with iron buckshot. I will use it on your cute, undead ass, you little shit!" Chloe said with a playful menace, starting to get into their little game as she always did.

Max hopped around, making light sounds to attract Chloe's attention, before leaping into the corner of the living room where Chloe's workstation was located. Pressing her back against up against where the walls connected, Max began to climb until she was nestled in the corner. Watching Chloe slowly make her way to the bedroom, Max fought back a giggle as she playfully stalked her.

"Marco!" Max shouted, dropping down to the floor and sprinting to the Asian blind that divided the bedroom from the rest of the apartment. Max heard Chloe clamp her hand over her mouth as she yelped, grinned as she heard Chloe curse under her breath. Paralleling Chloe's movements, Max entered the bedroom from one side of the blinds as Chloe left from the opposite. Stepping on her tip-toes to go completely silent, Max controlled her body and stopped the instinctive intake of air. Her body absolutely still save for baby steps, Max was only a foot from Chloe as the blue-haired girl fumbled around in the dark.

"Did you go silent? Ugh, you _always_ do this! I swear, powers are fucking cheating!" Chloe said in frustration, trying not to laugh. Picking up on Chloe's diminishing enjoyment of this round the game they played, _Well,_ I _play. Chloe just…kinda participates_ , Max ended it the way she usually did. Closing the distance between them to inches, Max leaped onto Chloe's back in an instant and began to pelt her neck and jawline with small kisses. Chloe's shriek dissolved into a few short breaths before falling under the spell of Max's lips connecting with her skin.

"You did say 'Eat me'," Max chided between two kisses, grinning, "But I may settle for a scratch-n'-sniff." Max relented after one final kiss, leaving her mouth partly open as she lightly grazed her lips and tongue across the right side of Chloe's jawline. Dropping off of Chloe's back, Max sprinted the short distance to the light switch and re-illuminated the apartment with a soft glow.

"Oh, I hate you…and also kinda love you," Chloe said, walking over to punch Max on the shoulder.

"'Kinda'?" Max asked, arching an eyebrow.

"…I _hella_ love you," Chloe said, wrapping her arms around Max's neck before leaning in and kissing her. The kissing continued as the two girls tried to direct each other toward the bedroom, only for both to freeze as Max's phone began to go off. "Don't do it."

"But it could be important," Max implored between instances of her tongue connecting with Chloe's.

"Maxine Caulfield-" Chloe started before clamping her mouth shut, mouthing _Fuck!_ as she realized her sexually-fatal mistake.

"For the use of 'Maxine'," Max said with a flourish as she disengaged herself from Chloe, "The punishment is a cessation of the sexy." At "sexy", Max pulled out her phone and tapped on the screen to answer. It was a text from Kate.

 **Kate: are you done yet?**

 **Max: Just finished. U want 2 come over still?**

 **Kate: yes. I just got some GREAT news!**

 **Max: spill**

 **Kate: see you soon ;)**

Max almost typed "NO EMOJI" back, but caught herself with a wry smile. Chloe had been rubbing off on her, just as she had been rubbing off on Chloe…albeit in different ways. _I'm a vampire, but she stays up longer than I do. What the crap?_ Max thought as she glanced over at the pouting Chloe Price.

"Kate's coming over," Max said, sliding her phone back in her pocket, "I'm assuming she'll be taking the bus so it'll be about ten minutes. Think we should order foo-" Max yelped in surprise as Chloe suddenly carried Max bridal-style and walked over to the bathroom. Setting Max down, Chloe began to furiously strip. "Uh, Chloe, what are you doing?"

"Ten minutes, right? S'more than enough time for something," Chloe said, grinning with intent, as she began to pull at Max's clothes. The two girls giggled as the room began to fill with the steam of hot water.

Kate showed up after about 15 minutes, looking away awkwardly as she saw the flushness of Chloe's face and the bashful glance of Max towards Chloe. Realizing that they had been busted, Max walked over with apologetic grin and lightly pulled Kate out of the doorway and into the hall. Closing the door behind them, Max let Kate walk herself into the living room while fiddling with her laptop.

"Food?" Max asked, looking first at Kate, then Chloe.

"Dude, I am hungry like the wolf," Chloe said, patting at her empty stomach, "What are you down for Kate? Max told me we may be celebrating…something…?"

"Pizza," Kate replied simply, getting a chuckle out of Max as she remembered what Kate had said when she came by earlier.

"Che, sweet Che, I think you need to reconsider your offer of giving Kate a henna tattoo," Max said tenderly, trying to cushion the blow to Chloe's feelings. Chloe looked over to Kate with a slightly crushed expression.

"Dude, no! You'd look so fucking cool, and it would wear off after a couple of days or so. It doesn't have to be anywhere visible!" Chloe exclaimed, trying to convince a stern-faced Kate, "Pretty please?"

"Sorry, Chloe, but I just don't really think that a tattoo is for me," Kate said with a hint of apology in her voice, "But I _do_ appreciate the thought. I would…just appreciate pizza more."

Sarcastically turning her head in a huff, Chloe looked away from both girls before feeling a finger curve around her chin. Looking out from the corner of her eye, Chloe watched Max as she leaned over and gently tugged Chloe's head around to kiss her on the forehead. _She's so cute sometimes. I could_ actually _eat her up._ _Wait. Ew._ Chloe watched Max with concern as the brunette seemed to space-out for a moment before snapping back with a rapid blink of her eyes. Max knew that she did this more often lately, flashbacks of blood and violence that in turn spilled into nightmares of water and tight spaces.

"Sweetie?" Max heard Chloe say, snapping her out of her own mind, "Man. Hey, you okay?" Max smiled at the look of warmth and concern on Chloe's face and stood up.

"I'm…going to go splash some water on my face. Feeling kinda drowsy," Max lied, pulling away from Chloe as she headed over to the bathroom. Leaving the door open, as she now did every time she was in the bathroom, Max turned the sink faucet on and rubbed some of the icy water across her face. Looking down at the nearly full basin of water made her twitch for a second. Her mind completely preoccupied, Max didn't notice Kate behind her until she turned around and made a startled noise.

"Sorry!" Kate said, her eyes opening wide as Max's startled exclamation startled her in turn, "We…we just wanted to know if you had an preference to what goes on the pizza."

"Uh, is half-cheese okay?" Max asked, counting backwards from ten in her head to calm down. Dr. Ives had given her a book on relaxation and Max was already on the 12th technique, the other 11 not amounting to much for her.

"Sure. Sorry that I scared you," Kate said in apology before heading back to the living room. Kate smiled at Chloe as the two crossed paths, Chloe heading over to Max with a worried look.

"I know what that spacing out means, Max. _Are_ you okay?" Chloe asked, putting her hands on Max's shoulders.

"I'm…I'm trying to manage. It's like I just randomly get ridiculous amounts of stress…and anxiety. The slightest thing can set off a panic attack, or at least what I'm assuming is a panic attack," Max said, tired, before lowering her voice to a whisper, "Kinda hard to gauge when you don't have a beating heart or the need for air."

"I could always kick Kate out and we could just curl up in bed, watch shitty movies," Chloe halfheartedly offered.

"I-I just need some air," Max said with a chagrin at Chloe's offer to send Kate home, "I think I will go up to the roof, have a moment alone."

"..You do that a lot," Chloe said in a quiet tone, and Max could not help but find herself irritated. Chloe always used that tone when Max would go off by herself, whether it was to hunt or to just be left to her thoughts. _Why can't you understand what I'm having to deal with, Che? Why are you so damn stubborn?_

"I'm just going to the roof, Chloe, for a few minutes. I..I feel like the apartment is stifling," Max said, looking at Chloe pleadingly.

Max felt a mix of sadness and irritation as Chloe walked off without answering, starting up a conversation with Kate. Walking through the apartment, Max quickly excused herself as she went outside. Closing the door behind her, Max looked out as the sun set over the water. Max had no problem with the coastline or the ocean, so long as it stayed there and she remained _here_ , where she was standing. Sighing, Max quickly looked about to make sure no one was watching before leaping up to the roof with a single jump. Max laid on the corrugated metal and watched as the starts began to slowly make their appearance, counting the ones she could see in an attempt to center herself.

"One…two…three," Max quietly began, not paying attention to anything else. Taking in a deep breath and holding it for a moment, Max slowly exhaled through gritted teeth and sat up, slowly getting to her feet. Making her way to the roof's edge, Max peered down at the landing directly below and stepped off the roof. Landing as quietly as she could, Max opened the apartment door and went back inside. Hearing Kate and Chloe chatting, Max caught the end of their conversation.

"-just don't know what to do," Max heard Chloe say. Pausing in the hallway, Max's brow furrowed as she listened in, "She disappears, even when she's right next to me. I try to get her to let me in, and she _has_ opened up to me some, but there's this wall that she just won't let down."

"She went through something incredibly traumatic, Chloe," Kate said with compassion, "I get that you want to know everything all at once, and I can understand why, but how can you expect Max to share when she all this is like it's new to her again? She was missing for a _month_." _Bless you, Kate Marsh._

"I _know_ that. It's just…she locks herself away, we never really _talk_ , and she's only half here. I love her, I hella do, but the silent treatment is just too fucking much," Chloe said, sounding both pained and a little angry.

"What did the therapist tell you two?" Kate asked, with Max beginning to think their secret pow-wow was needing to end.

"Well…she said that Max was likely suffering from-" Chloe started before she saw Max's shadow from within the hallway. Max heard Chloe's heartbeat speed up and quickly realized that Chloe had figured she was listening in.

"So," Max said abruptly as she walked through the hallway into the apartment, "What'd I miss?"

Max watched Chloe's face go still, Kate suddenly turning silent.

"I see," Max said, trying to mask her hurt with a fake cheerfulness, "What was your news, Kate?"

"Um, well…" Kate started to say.

"Mr. Jefferson talked to her after class," Chloe said, catching on Kate's discomfort, "She won the Everyday Heroes contest. He's going to formally announce it tomorrow, when you're there."

"Congrats, Kate!" Max said with a smile. _Heh, I already knew you won. Mr. Jefferson told me yesterday before class. You deserve it, Kate. What you don't deserve, however, is Chloe constantly dumping our private life onto your lap_. "I had a feeling you were going to win, you're such a natural with a lens."

Seeing Kate blush at the compliment, Max walked over to Chloe's workstation and pulled her stool out so that she was sitting in the living room. All three girls taking note of the awkwardness, the apartment got really quiet.

"I think…I think I'm going to actually head back," Kate said, getting out of the chair abruptly, "Walk me out, Max?"

Getting up from the stool, Max wordlessly led Kate to the door. Going outside after her, Max knew what was coming as Kate turned around to look at her with worry in her eyes.

"Max. Are you okay?" Kate asked. Max stiffened a bit and looked away with a dejected look on her face.

"I'm _really_ tired of people asking me that," Max blurted out, feeling bad at her snapping at Kate almost instantly. Almost. _Sometimes I wish you all would just leave me the fuck alone._

"Oh. Sorry. Well, I'll see you tomorrow in class," Kate said softly, turning to head down the steps.

"Kate, wait," Max said, pinching the bridge of her nose as Kate turned to look up at Max, "I'm sorry. It's just…it's like everyone expects me to either bounce back or completely unravel. No one gives a crap about the in-between."

"Chloe cares," Kate said, her voice still soft in tone, "I care. Your friends care, Max."

"…I know, but you don't know what it's like. And me explaining it to every person who asks if I'm okay isn't going to change the fact that I'm _not_ ," Max said, letting the fatigue she felt creep into her voice, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Max gave Kate a quick hug before walking back inside. Silence filled the apartment as Chloe just sat at the couch, watching as Max went over to the fridge and took a quick drink from her sports bottle. Max heard Chloe make a sound, like she was about to say something, only to hear a sigh escape Chloe's lips instead. Looking up at the clock, Max figured that it the Sun would be down the rest of the way shortly and decided that she was going to go hunting. Max didn't utter a word as she slipped her combat boots on, but felt Chloe staring at her as she looked up to see the blue-haired girl leaning against the bathroom doorway.

"Are you even going to say anything?" Chloe asked, arms crossed, "I know you heard at least part of what Kate and I were talking about, dude. You might want to hide further back in the hallway, so the light doesn't give away your shadow."

"…I fucking hate when you talk about me behind my back," Max said in a cool tone, her voice quiet, "You act like I'm not even there."

"Sometimes you're not, Max. When you are here, meaning not just physically _here_ , you're so incredible to be with. When you shut down, though, it's like living with a stranger," Chloe said, concern creeping into her voice, "I just wish you would talk to me."

"You just wish that…I _don't_ want to do this right now. I mean, am I wrong to assume if you hadn't spotted me that my therapy sessions would have _actually come up_ in your conversation with Kate?"

When Chloe didn't answer, Max rolled her eyes and walked right by Chloe without as much as a word. Turning around at the doorway, Max looked over at Chloe from across the apartment.

"I know you mean well, and I know everybody else does, too. You have to learn to take the good with the bad, Che. Sometimes I'm just not going to be up for sharing," Max said, sounding somewhat apologetic.

"Then let me just be with you. Let me go hunting with you!" Chloe said, walking across the apartment to stand in front of Max, "If you need to flip your shit, go ahead, but don't shut me out."

"'Flip my shit'? So eloquent, Chloe."

"You know what I fucking mean, brat. I want to be here for you, but I feel like you don't want me here sometimes," Chloe said, looking down at her feet. _Oh, goddamnit. I just want some time to myself, that's all. I can't sort myself out if I have to help sort you out, too._

"You really want to come with me? Fine. You can drive me out there," Max said, resigned to the fact of Chloe tagging along. She couldn't help but smirk as an excited grin flashed across Chloe's face, "This isn't a class trip, Che. This is one of those moments where you're going to come away with an 'I've seen some shit' story."

"All the more reason to be excited! I've never seen you do this before!" Chloe said as she wrapped an arm around Max's shoulder and walked them both out the door. _You literally just did a one-eighty from sullen and upset to giddy, Chloe. I know you don't want your own individual sessions with my therapist, but you need them as much as I do. You're so…it's like you have to be damn near everywhere I am sometimes._

Max pointed Chloe in the direction of an old dirt road that was about ten miles north of Arcadia Bay. Taking a right, Chloe pulled into the old road and began to drive through the woodland path. Heading into the woods for around five minutes, Max rolled down her window and listened as the slight breeze stirred the leaves around them, making the limbs sway.

"This is good, Chloe. Stop here," Max said, sounding distant.

"Aye, Captain Max," Chloe said with a grin as she put the truck in park and switched everything off.

"I've been promoted?" Max asked, feeling a little more humorous than when they had been at the apartment.

"Only because it's _Admiral_ Chloe, now," Chloe said, still grinning.

"Ah. I liked Captain Chloe more. Sounded like a superhero."

Max stretched after sliding out of the truck, popping her neck, shoulders, and knuckles as Chloe came around with one of Max's empty jugs. Gesturing she didn't want the container, Max saw Chloe look at her with a perplexed face.

"I'm going to drink it straight, whatever I catch," Max said as popped out her fangs, eyes glowing a dim violet.

"I thought you hated that?" Chloe asked, starting to look nervous.

"Yeah, well, shit happens," Max said, not really wanting to go into her feeding patterns. Ever since she had fed off Chloe, Max would sometimes sneak out while the other girl was asleep and go hunting for fresh blood. Max craved the sensation she had from feeding on Chloe, the wildlife an adequate substitute. She also wanted to hunt as a means of cutting loose, venting her frustrations and pain. _Chloe's practically bouncing up and down, she looks so excited. You asked for this, Chloe. I'm not going to hold back because you might turn out to be fucking squeamish. Ew._ Max pictured Chloe getting sick as she fed and thought _Ew_ to herself one more time before slowly walking deeper into the woods. Max heard the sound of Chloe's loading a shell into her pump-action shotgun and hesitated, then continued on with Chloe following behind from a distance.

Max tracked and sniffed around for around 15 minutes before catching fresh signs of wildlife. Kneeling down, Max looked at a paw print that was relatively new in comparison to the other tracks she had seen. Putting her small hand inside the print, Max couldn't help but grin as she figured out what it was. _A fucking bear. Perfect._

"You know how to track animals? I thought you could just hear their hearts or some shit like that. Y'know, like how you are with me," Chloe said, lowering her voice when Max gestured for her to be quiet.

"I _can_ hear heartbeats if I want to. How nuts do you think I would be if I could hear _every_ heartbeat _all the time_? I learned to track because I need to in order to survive, Chloe," Max explained, irritated as she realized she was going to have to probably explain a lot of things before the night was through.

"But you say you can always hear mine," Chloe said, though to Max it sounded more like a question.

"I choose to hear yours nearly all the time," Max said reluctantly, still pissed, "I…I like the sound of your heart. It calms me down, makes me feel comfortable." Max smiled faintly as she heard Chloe's heartbeat slightly accelerate. Tensing up, Max's smile faded as she picked up on the bear's location. Signaling for Chloe to hang back a little further, Max slowly crept up a nearby hilltop so as to get a better vantage point. "There."

Max pointed down to a black shape at the bottom of the hill. Positioned near a stream, the large bear was preoccupied with something neither girl could see. Max could practically feel the anticipation coming off of Chloe in waves as she stood behind Max. Turning around, Max gave her a stern look as she gestured to where the bear was.

"Are you sure about this? I'm not sure I like the idea of you coming down there with me. I actually _don't_ like it, period," Max said with a grimace.

" _Come on_ , Max. Live a little!" Chloe said, accidentally shouting the last sentence. Hearing a noise from downhill, Max looked to see the bear starting to make its way towards them.

"Remember," Max said, gently poking Chloe in the chest, "You _asked_ for this. Stay out of my way until I'm done."

"When will that be?" Chloe asked, taking a couple steps back as the glow in Max's eyes brightened.

"You will know when I am done," Max said, spinning around to face the oncoming bear.

Crouching, Max bared her fangs as the bear stood up on its hind legs and roared at Max. Meeting the animal's cry with one of her own, Max lunged and shouldered the bear in the side. Max had decided before the bear had begun to approach that she was going to mess around a bit, as she had been doing with each hunt. _I could kill it quick, or I could have some fun. Play with my food._ Watching the bear stumble, Max let the bear come running at her when she remembered that Chloe was somewhere behind her. Rolling her eyes, Max kicked the bear in the face, sending the beast caterwauling in a different direction. Slowly running after the bear, Max caught up to it and shouldered it again. Knocking the beast over, Max threw a punch at the side of its face before taking a step back. Sluggishly rising, the bear let out a roar. _Are you trying to scare me? Poor thing,_ you're _the one that should be frightened_. Max was about to pounce on it when she heard the small trickle of water coming from the stream.

Images flooded Max's mind: Antony's face, opening her eyes to find that she had been dropped into the sea, the iron chains that had burned her for a month, the Chloe from her nightmare weeping endlessly, the night she had been killed _and_ turned. Max heard someone call out to her in the distance, but didn't respond until she felt a sharp pain as the bear got a hold of her with one of its paws. Backpedaling, Max came out of her episode and looked down to see a large gash that had opened across her left side. Watching her near-black blood slowly ooze out of her side, Max thought of the pain she had endured at the lighthouse, all the times she had nearly died or wish she had died, and screamed as the hurt of three years began to pour out of her.

Max heard Chloe gasp as Max leaped straight at the bear and break its jaw in a single, savage twist. The bear took a step back, lowering its head against the ground as it struggled to close its mouth. Not waiting, Max screamed as she came at the bear with savage kicks, feeling bone break under her booted feet. Not wasting any time, Max bent down slightly and twisted the bear's neck before it could make another pitiful cry. Watching its head drop with a _thud_ , Max kneeled down next to it and bared her fangs before lunging into its throat. Ripping a massive gash in the dead animal's neck, Max practically shoved the lower half of her face into the bear's flesh as she greedily sucked at the hot, wet blood. Max noticed the death-like silence and looked up from her meal to see Chloe standing a short distance away, the hand holding the shotgun slightly trembling.

"…I knew you wouldn't be able to handle this," Max said, standing up as she wiped at her face with a sleeve, "I _told_ you that you were going to see some shit, some fucked up shit."

"…Max…are you-" Chloe started to ask, her voice trembling slightly.

"Quit asking me that, goddamnit! _All of you_ , quit asking me that!" Max shouted, "I'm _not_ okay, Jesus fuck! I'm a vampire! I'm going to be a teenager for the rest of my fucking life! I drink _blood_ to live, and I'm not even really alive. I'm madly in love with a person who is scared of me at times but doesn't have the guts to tell me so."

"Max, that's-"

"Don't…don't lie to me, Chloe," Max said, her own voice starting to quake from anger and hurt, "I spent years on the run, living night by night in the most random of places. I've killed people. Vampires, sure, but still people. I'm so good at it they gave me a goddamn nickname. And then there's you." Max watched Chloe stiffen. "I love you, Chloe. I really do. But there are times I look at you and just want to cry, just bawl endlessly. I finally get you, get to be with you, and I'm not even fucking alive anymore!"

"But you _are_ with me," Chloe said, the nervousness in her voice giving to heartbreak and concern.

"I am. When I'm with you I'm wonderful, but heartbroken. I'll never get to share in the physicality of _us_ , never feel my heart skip a beat when I see you at the end of a long day. I will never feel the mutual warmth of us as we lie in bed. I don't even need to eat, so it's not like I get the full experience out home-cooked food with you. You do all these things and I am just…I just feel like I'm an echo of how I used to be," Max said, cursing herself as she felt the warmth of bloody tears running down her face, "I sometimes wish I were dead, the pain can be _so much_."

Max fell to her knees and bent over so that her face was cupped in her hands. Crying, Max shut out the world with her pain. The almost constant isolation, the terror at realizing what she was. _Chloe. Oh, God, I ate Chloe._ Max cried even harder as Chloe cautiously made her way over to where Max was kneeling. With trepidation, Chloe reached out and put a hand on one of Max's trembling shoulders. Max clutched at the hand on her shoulder, rubbing her tear-streaked, bloody face against the forearm as she desperately tried to cling at anything that could support her.

"I'm j-j-just so tired," Max quivered, falling on her side as she curled into the fetal position on the ground.

Max felt Chloe kneel next to her and begin to run her fingers through Max's hair. Max let Chloe gently put her head in Chloe's lap, let Chloe wipe her face up some with a bandana she had stuffed into the back pocket of her jeans.

"I'm s-s-sorry for being so distant, for getting so upset, Chlo. Please don't hate me, don't be scared of me," Max pleaded, her eyes shut tight as she tried to hold back what she had left to cry.

"I…I do get scared, sometimes," Chloe said quietly, softly hushing Max as she played with Max's hair while deep in thought, "You have these…these crazy powers and you save my life twice in such a short amount of time. You wait five years to tell me you love me. You _drink blood_. Yeah, sometimes I worry about what the fuck I've gotten myself into. Then I hear you giggle, hear you be the smart-ass I remember from when we were kids, and realize that the Max you are is still the Max you were. I'm not saying this is going to be easy, Max, I never said that. There's gonna be some hella deep feels all over what we've got going. But if you let me in, and I let you in, I think we can have something that will last forever."

Max grew really quiet as she took in Chloe's words, listened as Chloe hummed while playing with her hair. Sniffling, Max thought of how messed up she is. _I don't know which way is up anymore. Chloe, please help me. I don't want to be in the dark, don't want you to be in the dark._ Slowly sitting up, Max sniffled one more time before turning around to look Chloe in the eye.

"Do you love me? Really love me?" Max asked, her voice trembling in fear.

"Yeah, Max, I totally fucking love you. Do you love me?" Chloe asked, her typical wry grin plastered on her face.

"More than anyone else," Max replied, trying to smile.

"So we work at this," Chloe said, taking Max's hands before wrapping the smaller girl in her arms.

"…When did _you_ become the voice of reason and mushiness?" Max asked, breaking into a fit of quiet giggles.

"You're fucking killing me, Max Caulfield," Chloe said, trying to sound irritated.

The ride back was long, but Max didn't mind. Staring out into the passenger window, Max leaned up against the glass with one hand cradling her chin while the other was laying on top of Chloe's. They had made it back up to the hilltop when Max had latched onto Chloe's hand and not let go the entire walk back. Feeling Chloe tentative squeeze her hand, Max sighed a little.

"I wish I could still blush," Max said, a small pout, "I would be so red right now."

"From holding hands?" Chloe asked, looking over at Max in bemusement.

"From holding hands."

"You fucking nerd."

Max led Chloe up the steps to the apartment landing, fatigued by also feeling relatively content. _She's never seen how I get like…like how I can get. Another baby step, Max. Just keep taking them, and maybe we'll meet halfway._ Max headed straight for the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack as she turned on the shower. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, Max ran a hand under the sprinkling water for a moment before climbing in. Max lost herself in the heat, the feeling of cleanliness as the water pelted her perpetually cool skin. Shaking her hair as it was drenched by the shower head, Max saw a silhouette take form on the other side of the shower curtain.

"Chloe?" Max asked, her eyes squinting through the water and soap.

"Yeah, just me," Chloe said in a soft, uncertain tone.

"…What's wrong?" Max asked.

"Uh, just thinking about everything you said earlier," Chloe said in the same tone as before.

"…Okay…," Max countered, starting to feel anxious, "Is it your turn to pull back?"

"Ugh," Chloe let out a slightly irritated sigh, "No, Max. I'm not going to fucking shut down. It's just…I get so wrapped up in all the hella crazy shit you can do that I don't tend to think about how it must also hurt you. You really think about those things, about sometimes wishing you had died or feeling bad about not being able to feel how I feel?"

"…Every day," Max said in a low whisper, arms now at her sides as she just stood under the running shower while looking over at Chloe. Peeking around the shower curtain, Max saw Chloe pull out a joint and proceed to take in a drag from the freshly lit pot.

"I need to get fucking burnt," Chloe said, a weak smile playing on her lips as she saw Max's peeking from behind the shower curtain. Chloe blew smoke rings toward the shower curtain only for Max to withdraw into the safety of the closed-off.

Max heard Chloe's light footsteps recede as she left the bathroom, and Max quickly wrapped up her shower. Stepping out, Max toweled herself off and walked out into the apartment to find Chloe flipping through her phone.

"Whatcha doin'?" Max asked, sitting on one of the couch's arm rests, leaning over to peek at Chloe's phone.

"…I want…I want to do something nice, just the two of us," Chloe said earnestly, "Aside from 'hunting trips', we've yet to actually leave Arcadia Bay for anything fun."

"Mmm-hmm," Max said, eyebrow raised as Chloe looked up from her phone, "And just _what_ is your idea of nice?"

"I'd like to take you out for dinner. I mean, I _know_ that you don't actually need to eat but we could…well, _you_ could get hella fancied up and I-"

"Chloe Elizabeth Price, if _I_ am getting 'hella fancied' then so are _you_ ," Max said, getting up to head over to the bedroom for a fresh set of clothes.

" _Ugh_."

"Yes," Max called after Chloe as she got changed into a pair of black cargo pants with a black and pink flannel shirt.

" _Urghhh_ ," Max heard Chloe groan in reply.

Max was about to reply to Chloe's incessant groans when she saw that her phone's alert light was flashing. Having left her phone behind when they had left for the woods, Max picked it up and switched it on. _Wowsers,_ five _texts from Dana. What the crap?_ Max swiped the screen to unlock the device, quickly opening the messaging app. Reading the texts, Max quickly read them a second time, a third.

Max made Chloe jump in the couch a little as she was still going through her phone to find something nice for them to do together. Seeing Max clutching her phone in one hand while holding her boots in the other, Chloe sat up and looked at Max with a questioning expression.

"K-Kate's in the hospital," Max quickly spat out, dropping her boots to the floor as she slid her still-bare feet into them, "Dana shot me some texts while we were out. She says that Kate showed up to their dorm all bloody and beat up."

"Dude, what the fuck-" Chloe said as she sprang off the couch.

"I don't know, Che, but we should head over to the hospital _now_ ," Max said, stuffing the laces into the boots to expedite her being dressed, "Are you not high enough that you can't drive?"

"I'm not _that_ goddamn high, Maxaroni. C'mon, let's go," Chloe said, grabbing her jacket from the coatrack near the hallway as the two of them dashed out of the apartment. Not bothering to take the steps, Max grabbed a hold of Chloe from behind and hopped the railing, landing on the ground with a soft _thud_. Half-carrying Chloe, Max rushed them around the building and across the street to where the truck was parked.

"Max, dude, you can let go now," Chloe said as she tried to disengage her hand from Max's vice-like grip, "Hey, I need to _drive_."

"Oh. Sorry," Max said, absentminded as she let Chloe go next to the truck. Both girls climbing into the vehicle, Max barely had time to get situated inside before Chloe lurched the vehicle out of the lot and onto the street.

The hospital was a maze of white walls and the smell of antiseptics as Max and Chloe made their way through the sliding double doors, Max crinkling her nose at how powerful the cleaning solutions used by the hospital were. _Ew, it smells like detergent and rubbing alcohol. Maybe it's just…well, it probably_ is _just me that smells it so strongly. Vampire senses, woo._ Seeing Dana and Juliet sitting anxiously in the waiting area of the emergency room, Max rushed over and hugged Dana as the two girls got up from their seats. Reaching over to include Juliet, Max squeezed both girls as Chloe trailed behind. Seeing Chloe look somewhat awkward, Max waved her over to be included in the hug.

"I'm good," Chloe said, scratching at her beanie as her face turned slightly red. _Of all the goddamn times to be shy, Chloe. What the crap._

"What happened? Is Kate alright? Did she say anything about what attacked her?" Max asked, frantic. Images of Kate being slashed apart flashed through her mind, making her wince at the idea of her quiet, beautiful friend being hurt in any way.

"She passed out in the hallway of our dorm before she could say anything. Brooke called 911 while-" Dana started.

"-the rest of us just kinda stood back in shock. Even Victoria looked concerned, which must make this a sign of the Apocalypse," Juliet finished, lightly squeezing on Dana's hand, "She had some deep scratches on her arms, like she had been fighting with something, and I could've sworn…I thought I saw _bite marks_ on her neck, Max!"

"W-what?" Max asked, feeling her body tense. _Bite marks? Oh…oh, fuck no. Fuck fuck fuck!_

"It _looked_ like that," Dana said, looking over at Juliet with a grimace, "She was also coughing up bile or something. I dunno, Max, it was all just terrifying. We thought she was dying."

Chloe put a hand on Max's shoulder as she picked up on the smaller girl's tenseness. Taking the hand into her own, Max and Chloe left the other girls in the waiting area as they went out into the hallway that led to the ER. Chloe tightened her grip on Max's hand as she saw Max's expression change from shock to fear.

"Hey, she's in the hospital. She'll be fine," Chloe said, trying to reassure the now-shaking Max, "Calm down, Max. Calm _down_."

"This is calm, Chloe!" Max whispered, her tone biting, "…I'm going to find what did this…and I'm going to _fucking murder it_!"

Max didn't care about Chloe's suddenly taking a step back, didn't care about the way her heartbeat picked up at Max's words. She was fixated on how beat up she imagined Kate was, which led Max into a downward spiral as she remembered her own scars from the iron chains that had held her prisoner for a month and the memories of all the other vampires she had slaughtered to make it another day. Sliding down the wall, Max sat on the floor, grabbing at her hair as the traumas continued to smack away at her mind, leaving her angry and vulnerable.

"Max, please…please talk to me," Chloe said, worry overtaking what fear she had as she sat down next to Max, "Open up."

"I-I think of Kate and it's like e-everything comes flooding back in, all the pain and blood and memories," Max said, her voice quivering, "I…I need something t-to hit."

"That's not going to solve anything," Chloe said in a cautious tone, hooking her arm over Max's shoulders so that she could pull the shaking girl next to her, "Sure, it's probably hella nice, but it's not like you can just _keep_ finding things to hit. And I don't think that I could accept that."

"…I know, Chloe," Max said weakly, leaning her head on Chloe's chest, "But I get _so_ angry-"

"-and we'll deal with that. Together," Chloe said, cutting Max off, "You don't have to do all this, go through all this alone. I _am_ sitting right here, brat."

Max got quiet as she let Chloe just hold her, Chloe's heartbeat calming Max somewhat. Max closed her eyes and tried to shut everything out except the rhythmic beat of that single heart. The flashbacks and images that usually kept her from managing to get any decent rest began to recede and fade as the pulse of Chloe's life filled Max with a calming sensation. Max was about to lean in and nuzzle at Chloe's neck when she smelled something familiar. Her eyes opening wide, Max watched as a doctor came through the ER's double doors and looked down at them. Chloe signaling over to Dana and Juliet, the doctor waited until all four girls were standing close by.

"I'm assuming you're Ms. Marsh's friends…?" the doctor asked, Max looking in horror at the blood on his scrubs. When Dana mutely nodded, the doctor continued.

"Kate is going to be okay. She lost a lot of blood, and some of the scars were pretty deep, but we luckily got to her before anything life-threatening presented itself. We're going to keep her for a couple days to monitor her."

"Can we see her?" Max asked in a meek tone, anxious to see her friend.

"Briefly," the doctor conceded after taking a moment to think over Max's request, "She's sedated. The only thing that was possibly worse than the blood loss what whatever it was that she had ingested."

"Ingested…?" Chloe asked, looking confused.

"We don't know what it is, some type of viscous substance. We managed to pump out most of it, but I believe that her system may have absorbed some of whatever the foreign substance is by the time she got here. Do any of you know what she might have gotten her hands on?"

"Kate doesn't do drugs," Dana snapped, "She barely even drinks a soda. She _doesn't_ do drugs."

Seeing the doctor cringe at Dana's open hostility, Max's mind leapt to the worst possible scenario and went through the double doors before anyone could stop her. Searching through each room, Max heard the others slowly catching up to her as she finally found Kate lying in a dimly lit room all to herself. Sniffing the air around Kate, Max was repulsed by the familiar odor of Feral blood, remembering the brackish substance from her fighting in the woods outside town. Drawing back a couple steps, Max let Chloe's open arms wrap her up as the doctor looked at her with a look of mild irritation before reluctantly leaving the four visitors a brief moment to see their sleeping friend. Dana nearly fainted from the sight of a scarred, unconscious Kate, Juliet holding onto her as they took one more moment to look at Kate before leaving the room.

Max gingerly left the comfort of Chloe's embrace to walk over to stand beside Kate's bed. Looking down at her wounded friend, Max felt herself begin to cry and quickly wiped the few drops of blood away with a sleeve from her shirt. Max nearly jumped when Kate's eyes flashed open and she looked over in Max's direction.

"M-Max…?" Kate asked groggily, "Max…I'm so hungry…"

"Uh, I'll go get a candy bar or something," Chloe said as she left Max and Kate alone in the room.

"Shh, Kate. You need to rest," Max said, cupping Kate's cheek affectionately, "Just…Kate, what are you doing?"

Max looked at Kate quizzically as the bedridden girl sniffed at Max's sleeve. Licking her lips, Kate spotted the few droplets of blood that were soaked into the sleeve of Max's shirt and began to lightly suck at them. Pulling her arm back with a jerk, Max looked at Kate with a mixture of horror and revulsion. Seeing the look on Max's face, Kate became crestfallen as she realized what she had just done.

"Oh God, why did I do that?" Kate asked in horror, and Max feared that her friend might go into shock.

The pit in Max's stomach twisted as something crossed her mind. _I've never seen or actually been told what happens when a human lives after drinking vampire blood. Is this what it is, a hunger for the stuff?_ Max watched as a cut across Kate's left cheek became mottled for a second before starting to heal. _It looked like it was suddenly infected, and now it's closing up. What the hell is going on?_ Max stood still for a moment before cautiously putting a single finger in her mouth. Lightly biting down, Max felt a slight pinching sensation as she broke her own skin. Max slowly moved her cut finger towards Kate, her suspicion growing as Kate's attention snapped towards the small drop of blood forming on the tip of Max's finger. Pulling the finger back, Max's worst possible outcome came to fruition as Kate lunged for her bleeding finger.

"Oh my God. Nonononono," Max said as she stepped back from Kate, watching as the girl came back to her senses slowly, Kate beginning to cry as she again realized what she had just done.

"Max, what's happening to me?" Kate asked, a tremor in her voice.

"I…I don't know, Kate. I really don't," Max said in complete shock.

"Am I…am I a vampire or something now? No, that's stupid. There's no such thing, right?" Kate asked, sounding desperate as she tried to rationalize what had just happened.

"Right. No such thing," Max blurted out. _Smooth, dumbass. Also…awkward,_ "It's probably whatever you swallowed down, messing with your head or something. Just relax, okay? I'm going to see what's taking Chloe so long."

Max walked slowly out the open doorway, speeding up her pace as soon as she felt she was out of Kate's sight. _Oh shit, oh fuck, oh_ fuck _! Chloe, where are you? I fucking need you right_ now _!_ Max spotted Chloe after a minute or so, trying to shake a candy bar loose from the vending machine she was standing in front of.

"Forgot to bring change," Chloe side with a grin, trying to tilt the machine back and forth, "Care to lend a helping, super-strong hand?"

Max shoved the machine with enough force that a few candy bars smacked against the display, looking at Chloe with an intense expression.

"Max? What's wrong?" Chloe asked, realizing that something was _very_ wrong.

"She wanted _my blood,_ Chlo. I watched her suck at the few drops I had wiped off my face with a sleeve," Max gasped in a low tone, "I pricked open a finger and she _lunged_ at me, then got all confused after a moment. I think she was given the blood of a Feral."

"Uh, what?" Chloe said, stopping halfway with her acquisition of the candy bars Max had helped her liberate, "Those things that you fought outside town? She _drank_ their blood? So…so she's a vampire-"

"No. _No_ , she's not. She's still alive, still has a pulse. I think…I think it makes her crave it now. I watched one of her wounds get all infected for a moment only to suddenly heal up," Max said in exasperation, the image of Kate sucking at her blood making her mind reel, "I'm afraid, Che. What if…what if she needs it from now on, like I need blood? _What if she needs to feed from a vampire_?"

"Then, uh, she can have a drink from her Max-sized juice box?" Chloe said, trying to inject some humor in the situation.

"Not the time for jokes, Chloe."

"I know. It's just… _what the fuck_ , Max?" Chloe pulled her beanie off and scratched at her hair, "Like, what the _actual_ fuck?"

After taking a moment for both of them to calm down, Chloe walked into Kate's room to drop off her small collection of candy. Saying that Kate needed to get some rest, Chloe left the room as Kate watched her go in befuddlement. Grabbing Max by the arm on the way out, Chloe blurted out "Later" to Dana and Juliet in the waiting room before exiting the hospital. Both girls walked to the truck so fast they were nearly running by the time they got to the vehicle. Max felt absolutely dejected, looking down at her feet from inside the truck as Chloe took a few deep breaths before starting the vehicle.

 _What if she_ does _need to feed now?_ Max thought as Chloe drove them through Arcadia Bay, _Am I going to have to feed her? Oh Dog, am I going to have to_ tell _her I'm a vampire? 'Oh, hey Kate. I'm undead and you might need my blood to live. Do you want it in a Styrofoam cup to go or fresh from the vein?' Ew, fucking_ felt Chloe's hand reach over and touch her leg affectionately as she shuddered at the idea of Kate latching onto Max's arm with her mouth. _Focus on something else, focus on something else, focus on some-fucking-thing else…_

"I need to focus on something else," Max blurted out, thought giving way to spoken word, "Give me something to think about."

"Alcohol," Chloe said, her voice one of exhaustion.

"Not now, Chloe," Max said, "Something that won't mess both of us up."

"No, dude. We are going to get hella trashed when we get home. Or, I am. Too much 'wham-bam-thank you, ma'am' for one night. I need to hardcore bake or something that will make all this fade out for a hot minute," Chloe said, shaking her head, "Kate's a…well, what the fuck is she?"

"I have _no_ clue, Chlo, like zero in the way of knowledge regarding this type of crap," Max said, putting her hands to her face as she tried in vain to rub the shock from herself, "Maybe she'll be better by morning?"

"You hope."

"I really freaking do."

Max pulled out her phone as a thought came to her. Opening up her list of contacts, Max selected the one marked "Stephen" and began to type.

 **Max: SOS**

 **Stephen: ?**

 **Max: need halp**

 **Stephen: ok what's up?**

 **Max: have a prob, epic prob**

 **Max: human friend ingested Feral**

 **Max: wtf do I do?**

 **Stephen: …oh shit**

 **Stephen: Don't let them drink anymore! Their body will become dependent on it!**

 **Max: What about a drop of mine?**

 **Stephen: How much is a drop?**

 **Max: she…she kinda licked at some blood on my shirt sleeve.**

 **Stephen: Jesus Christ, Max, don't fucking let her have any more**

 **Stephen: I'll see if Maeve knows anything**

 **Stephen: email u later. Keep her away from the blood!**

"Who you texting?" Chloe asking as Max pocketed her phone.

"A friend from awhile back. From Ireland," Max said, "He was one of the people that showed up that night for the fight."

"Oh. Uh, good news? Bad news?" Chloe asked, frowning for a moment before turning into a grimace as she glanced over at Max.

"I don't know. He's going to talk to Maeve, his sister, and let me know if there's any long-term issues. For now, we just have to keep her from drinking any more vampire blood. Maybe _all_ blood, I dunno," Max said, looking down at her healing fingertip before nearly colliding with the dash of the truck. Max looked over at Chloe to see the other girl staring out the windshield.

"Max! Look!" Chloe said, jutting her chin out as she pulled over to the curb. Max snapped her head forward to see what Chloe was staring at.

Standing a block or so away was a figure in tattered clothing. Long-haired, their face was obscured by shadow save for sickly yellow eyes that glared across at the truck. Max stiffened for a moment before she popped out her fangs in sudden anger. Feeling a hand clamp on her arm, Max looked over to see the concern on Chloe's face.

"Let me go, Chloe," Max said, her vision shifting as her irises began to glow with a violet hue.

"Max, we're in the middle of town. What the fuck are you going to do, announce yourself to the entire world?" Chloe asked in a steely tone. _Fucking voice of wisdom. Bizarro Chloe in Bizarro World. Ugh._

Max held her hands up, but refused when Chloe told her to retract her fangs. Max pointed at the now-fleeing Feral and told Chloe to follow it. Chloe nudged the truck forward with a small push on the gas pedal, moving forward at a crawl as they watched the Feral sniff around like it was looking for something. It took a moment before either girl realized that they were heading in the direction of the apartment. Max rolled her window down and detached Chloe's hand from her arm, leaping out of the moving vehicle as they entered the abandoned part of town in which they lived. Her jog turning into a run, Max made a beeline for the shambling creature as they both rounded the corner across the block from where the apartment was located.

Max grabbed the collar of the Feral's tattered shirt and lifted her leg up in a sharp kick, sending the Feral sprawling a few feet forward. Crawling back up, the Feral spun around to crouch at Max. Face mostly obscured by matted hair, the blackened gums and yellowed teeth were bared in a hideous grin as the Feral leapt at Max. Careful to avoid its teeth, Max grabbed it by the wrists and set another kick into the creature, connecting with its midsection before throwing it by the wrists across the street. Looking quickly from side to side, Max took a moment to feel gratitude at the fact that this part of Arcadia Bay was mostly boarded up before running across the street towards her building in pursuit of the creature. Hearing Chloe's truck squeal to a halt behind her, Max sprinted forward to catch up with the creature. Grabbing a handful of its hair, Max let out a low growl as she spun it around and threw it into a boarded up window on the first floor of the building where her apartment was. The flimsy board breaking easily, Max followed after the creature, her vision starting to turn into a red haze at the violation of her friend and her home by this…thing.

"I'm going to fucking split you in half, then in half again," Max uttered as she began to stalk the whimpering mass of tattered clothes and hair, kicking it in the side as it made to scramble away. Hearing a groan escape its lips, Max grabbed it by the hair and dragged it across the empty floor and back out the window. Max heard Chloe approach, and hesitated for a moment as a realization hit her. _She saw me hunt a bear and was kinda freaked. What will she do if she sees me rip this thing to shreds?_ Pausing in mid-stride, Max took a second to collect herself only to watch in horror as the creature started to scramble towards the approaching Chloe. A loud hiss instinctively escaping her gritted teeth, Max's eyes lit up like fire as she sprinted at the thing that was nearing her beloved, grabbing it by the throat and tossing it against the adjacent building with enough force that a dull crack could be heard as its skull connected.

Max looked over at Chloe, the other girl trembling with her shotgun raised to fire. Forcibly retracting her fangs, Max gazed at Chloe with bright violet eyes.

"Is that for me?" Max asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"N-no," Chloe said, lowering the shotgun as she looked in shock at Max, "I-I've never seen you like this, Max. _Holy fuck._ "

Max took a moment to give Chloe a quick, but tight, hug. Turning her attention to the creature twitching on the ground across the alleyway, Max lifted it up by its hair so that she could see its face. Skin mottled, eyes sunken in and yellowed, Max thought that it might have looked beautiful once as they hissed at each other. Max's attention was so focused on killing this threat to her friends, _to Chloe_ , that she almost didn't ear Chloe cry out in horror. Hearing Chloe run over to her, Max looked behind her while still clutching onto the creature.

"What is it?" Max asked. _Aside from a lot of things._

"T-t-that's…" Chloe said, falling to her knees as tears began to stream down her face. Puzzled, Max looked at the creature's face and then back at Chloe.

"Chloe…?" Max asked, confused.

"…That's Rachel. Rachel Amber."

 **Author's Note – Boom. *midcrop* I told you that there would be changes in the status quo. I told you I was coming for your feels. I chose to have Max deal with post-traumatic stress because it is a very real thing in** _ **my**_ **life and also because Max has been on the move almost constantly for three years. All the things she has seen and done have been pushed to the back of her mind, so now that she is no longer running it makes sense that all the trauma she endured would emerge. Max is struggling with parts of herself that she won't accept with parts that she wants back, creating a situation where she's fighting off-and-on with Chloe _as well as_ herself.**

 **The twist at the end, huh? I had originally planned for earlier, as soon as the junkyard scene with the twins, before I realized that I could play this story out in a different, longer-reaching scope. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and its revelatory ending as much as I did writing it. What's to come, what's to come? *wink***

 **Read, review, and I'll see you in 12!**

 **Stay hella!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I Miss The Misery, from the single by _Halestorm_**

"Please! Max, please, put her down!" Max heard Chloe yell imploringly as she clutched at the hair of what Chloe told her was Rachel Amber. Scrutinizing the Feral's face, Max thought _was Rachel Amber_ before lowering the creature to the ground. Still holding onto the hair, Max pulled back her other arm and slammed her fist hard enough into Rachel's skull that there was a wet crunch before the Feral crumpled to the ground.

"Max! What the fuck?!" Chloe said as she moved instinctively towards Rachel only to be freeze as Max shot an arm out to block her.

"This…this _was_ Rachel, Chloe," Max said, her rage at Kate's condition and Chloe's nearly being attacked mingling with her despair at seeing the look of sadness on Chloe's face, "Whatever it is now, it is _not_ the girl you knew."

"But its _Rachel-_ "

"No, it _isn't_ ," Max said, her tone serious as she turned to Chloe, "This is a beast, a _thing_ that nearly killed and turned Kate. Kate is in a hospital bed because of _this_ , suffering some type of weird withdrawal from drinking its blood, and you want to fucking coddle it?"

"If she's a thing, then what does that make you?" Chloe blurted, covering her mouth as she realized what she had said.

Max froze, the words hitting her like iron as she visibly flinched. _Am I just a replacement to you, Chloe, a replacement for whatever_ this _was?_ Max looked down at the unconscious form and back up at Chloe. She wanted to smack Chloe, wanted to plead with her that she was right here and tell her that she loved her. Unfortunately, that is not what came out.

"Go to hell, Chloe, if that is what you actually think," Max uttered, her vision returning to normal as the grief at what Chloe had said impacted over and over.

"Max…ugh, that is not what I fucking meant. Goddamnit!" Chloe said, kicking at some loose rocks while putting a hand to her head, "I just meant…she's _here_ , Max. Rachel is right there."

"So am I," Max quietly said before grabbing the Feral Rachel and hosting her over a shoulder. Max headed toward the first floor only to be intercepted by Chloe, the other girl now blocking her way.

"What are you going to do?" Chloe asked, her voice matching the look of worry on her face.

"Don't worry, _Chloe_. I'm not going to kill your girlfriend," Max spat back, "I'm just a _thing_ , after all. What the fuck do I know?"

Max didn't give Chloe a chance to respond as she climbed back in the window, muttering as she laid the creature on the floor. Max needed something that would hold Rachel, bind her so that she couldn't do any more damage while Max thought this situation over. _I shouldn't_ have _to think it over. I should end…_ this _…before it hurts anyone else. Goddamn you, Chloe._ Growling, Max hoisted the creature up and leaned it against a support beam that ran from the ceiling to the floor.

Rummaging around, Max hissed as she grabbed some iron pieces of rebar that she found lying about the deserted half of the building. Thinking back to the junkyard, and to the lighthouse, Max shuddered a moment before sitting Rachel up against the beam. With a small amount of exertion and a larger amount of pain, Max gripped on the iron as she twisted it around Rachel and the beam, binding the feral. Ripping off a sleeve of her shirt, Max cautiously opened Rachel's mouth and stuffed the fabric inside so that it wouldn't make any noise. Taking a step back, Max looked at her work to ensure that the creature was as secure as she could possibly make it at the moment before stepping to the broken window. Collecting smaller boards that were scattered around, Max laid them outside the window before climbing out. Seeing Chloe watch her, Max said nothing as she vaulted up the steps and quickly went into the apartment.

Returning a moment later with a hammer and nails, Max began to re-secure the window, slamming each nail in with an angry _thwack_ until you could no longer see inside. Clutching onto the hammer, Max let out a small scream as she slammed the hammer down on the brick wall in frustration. The head snapping off, it stuck in the brick as Max tossed the handle aside. Max heard Chloe start to approach her and visibly stiffened, halting the other girl's steps.

"Max, I-" Chloe started to say only to stop mid-sentence as Max turned to face her.

"You take back what you said, Chloe Price. Right now." Max's voice was hollowed out, the pain of the day's events draining her of nearly all the energy she had left.

"You know I do. I was…I'm fucking losing my mind, Max. You're a vampire, Rachel's a…what did you call them, whatever she is?"

"A Feral," Max said, looking out of the corner of her eye at the boarded-up window, "A vampire that feeds on not only animals and humans, but also other vampires."

"Is that what makes them sick?" Chloe asked, grimacing as she got a shrug from Max in reply.

"I dunno. Maybe. All I know is that the best way to stop them is to kill them," Max said, her tone neutral.

"…Are you going to kill Rachel?" Chloe asked, her tone quiet.

"It would already be dead if I were, Chloe. Don't worry. I won't kill your girlfriend," Max said with a huff, pushing herself off of the wall to start to head back up the steps, "Never mind that she nearly killed Kate, right?"

"Fucking stop. Just…just stop, Max. Yes, Rachel meant… _means_ a lot to me. But she wasn't my fucking girlfriend. I'm not her groupie, okay? Of course I'm upset that Kate-" Chloe started to implore.

"You're 'upset'?"

"You know what I mean. Look, I don't know what to do. Or what I'm saying, because everything I am saying is evidently _wrong_. What are you afraid of?" Chloe asked, looking intensely at Max's face.

"…Was I just a replacement? For her?" Max asked, turning around to look Chloe in the eye, "I saw the look on your face, heard your voice _and_ your heartbeat. What was she to you, Chloe, and tell me the truth?"

"…Can we not have it out in the alley? Can we at least go inside and yell at each other?" Chloe asked, looking around. Max rolled her eyes in reply before walking back to the steps, Chloe close behind.

"One – you are _not_ a replacement, and I'm kinda pissed that you would think I'm like that," Chloe said, pacing back and forth in the living room as Max watched from the couch, "I _love_ you, Max. I wish you would just believe me on that."

"I…I do. You don't have a monopoly on insecurity and abandonment issues," Max replied, choosing her words carefully, "But she was more than just a friend, and I want to know if what's downstairs changes _us_." Max watched Chloe with rapt attention as her blue-haired beloved took a seat across from her on the couch, sitting so that she was facing Max.

"She was my best friend, Max, after you left. I was alone, two of the most important people to me gone, and my Mom was only home half the time. She was depressed enough as it is, but I was wrecking hard. I just sat and stewed in my own bullshit for a while. Then, I met Rachel. She pulled me out of my drama and I latched on hella tight. She was my angel, Max, but she's not you," Chloe said, not looking Max in the eye.

"That doesn't answer my question, Chloe," Max said, worried.

"My love for you isn't changing, nerd," Chloe said with a faint smile, putting a hand to Max's cheek for a moment, "You need to get over yourself. I promised you forever and I meant it, okay? Is 'Uber-confident Max' just a front or something?"

"…Sometimes," Max conceded, shrugging as she looked away in embarrassment.

Neither girl spoke for a few minutes, an awkwardness filling the apartment as they both tried to evaluate the events of the day with how they were feeling. Max couldn't reconcile what Chloe said with how Chloe reacted to Rachel, though, remembering pointedly at how Chloe had aimed the shotgun at her. _She really_ is _afraid of me, but she didn't even bat an eye at Rachel Amber. Crap. Maybe…maybe coming back to Arcadia Bay was a mistake._ Max hung her head with eyes closed as she felt regret begin to seep in, second-guessing the life she had started to make here with Chloe.

"What are you thinking?" Max heard Chloe ask, her voice conveying the worry they both felt.

"Truthfully? I'm scared that coming here was a bad idea," Max said, wearily opening her eyes to look at the girl sitting across from her.

"To the apartment?"

"To Arcadia Bay."

Chloe took in a small, sharp breath and just looked away in thought for a moment. Pulling a cigarette out of a pack tucked away in her jacket, Chloe moved to light it before looking at it again and tossing it in disgust. Stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets, Chloe got up and sauntered over to Max, bumping their foreheads together as she next to the young vampire.

"Don't give up on us, Max. You really think that _we_ are a mistake?" Chloe whispered to Max, both girls' eyes closed as they enjoyed the momentary connection.

"You? No, never. I just…you weren't _scared_ of it, what's downstairs. Not like I saw you were of me. _Were_ you pointing your shotgun at me? I can't help but think that maybe I shouldn't have come here, that I should've taken you away from here the second I laid eyes on you," Max asked, pulling Chloe in tighter by tugging on the waistband of the taller girl's jeans.

"More of shock than of not being scared, Max. I'm pretty sure the scare will come shortly, dude. Feeling jittery as it is from having watched you in action but I'm fucking terrified for Rachel. She looks so…so inhuman."

"That's because it's not Rachel anymore, Chlo. At least, I honest-to-Dog hope not," Max said as she pulled her head back to look into Chloe's eyes.

"You _hope_ that Rachel still isn't in there? I knew you get hella jealous, but damn. That's fucking cold," Chloe said, putting a hand to Max's cheek.

"Not that, dork, and you get pretty 'hella jealous' yourself," Max retorted, snickering as she saw the feigned expression of shock on Chloe's face, "I mean that if Rachel _is_ still in there somewhere…if _she_ is, then what about the other Ferals from before? Was a part of who they were locked somewhere inside of them? I don't think I can handle that concept, Chloe."

"Shit. I didn't even think of that. I'm an asshole," Chloe said as she looked down, gesturing with a jerk of her head at the floor beneath them, "So…what are you going to do?"

"I honestly don't know," Max said, rubbing her temples as she took a moment to gather her thoughts, "I bound her up as well as I could with what I have. Her skin is covered enough that the iron shouldn't do any damage, and I gagged her-"

"You gagged her? You're going hardcore with this, Max," Chloe said, surprised at how nonchalantly Max had described restraining and gagging someone, "What the fuck happened to you, to the shy, cliché geek that I remember?"

"She died, Chloe," Max said with a sad smile, her eyes opening to look at Chloe forlornly, "She died, and came back to a world she didn't asked to be a part of. The only thing holding me together right now, keeping _me_ intact, is you."

Chloe's face was one of heartbreak as she took Max in her arms and hugged her close. Chloe felt Max begin to gently shake as the small girl she was holding cried. _My life has gone even further to shit since I got here, Che. I've made friends, sure, but I wish that I had just grabbed you and continued running. I'm so exhausted._ Max sighed as she felt Chloe's steady heartbeat against her body. Max wanted to be right next to that beating heart, wanted to press the very core of Chloe's life against her face and let it warm her with its radiance. Pulling herself up by clutching onto Chloe's tank-top, Max nuzzled her beloved's neck and started to suck gently at the skin. Careful not to break the skin, Max kept her fangs retracted as she nibbled at Chloe's neck.

"Now? You want to have sex _now_?" Chloe asked incredulously between short gasps of breath.

"I don't want to have sex, Chloe," Max said between kisses, running her tongue from Chloe's neck to her jawline and ear, "I want you to make love to me. I want to _be_ with you, I can't fucking stand the separation we keep finding between us. I want to feel you around me completely."

"Holy shit," Chloe said in surprise, "You're serious."

"And you're killing my fucking buzz, Price," Max retorted, biting at Chloe's ear hard enough that Max grinned when she heard Chloe moan slightly in return, "Come to bed. I need you, Chloe. I need to be with someone who loves me no matter what, someone who I love just as much as she loves me."

Max peeked over Chloe's jawline as she nibbled away, watching the play of emotions on Chloe's face. _I think I may have fucked up, overstepped. But I have to have you now, Chloe, so that part of me still feels alive. I need to_ feel _your love, I need to feel like something in my life is real._ Feeling Chloe begin to stir, Max slowly pulled back as the other girl stood up and walked over to the kitchen. Curious, Max stood up in return and watched as Chloe took a clean glass from the dish rack. Filling the glass with water, Chloe tipped the glass and emptied it in mere moments before setting it back down.

"Max," Chloe said as she turned around, "We don't have to make love for our feelings to come across. We're both seriously fucked up right now, and I don't think that sex in the middle of whatever all this shit going down is the best of ideas. How about you come over here, nerd."

Max pouted for a moment before slowly making her way over to Chloe, feeling the blue-haired girl wrap her up with lean arms. Feeling the warmth from Chloe's body return to her, Max nestled up against Chloe's chest as she placed her ear directly over Chloe's heart. Sighing as she heard the soothing rhythm, Max spoke up.

"Are we…are we cursed?" Max asked, her voice cracking as she finished the question, "Can we ever just have a moment with you and me, where there isn't anything going on but us being together?"

"Hey," Chloe said as she kissed Max on the top of her head, "When all this is done and gone, we'll go somewhere nice. Just you and me, I swear. Don't be so fucking sad all the time, you fucking emo vampire cliché. I don't want to date a stereotype."

"So, what you're saying," Max said, tip-toeing to give Chloe a kiss, "is that we're dating?"

"I'm saying that for all the bat-shit craziness you brought with you, Max, I can't see myself without you. I don't want to, either. We're hitting rough waters, but it isn't anything when we work together."

Max and Chloe held on to each other, stumbling as they walked in sync towards the bedroom. Undressing, they slipped under the covers and curled up together, Max giving Chloe an Eskimo kiss before turning around to face away from Chloe.

"Max…?" Chloe asked, curious as to why Max would not lie down facing her.

"Tonight I think I need you to be the big spoon," Max said faintly, "I'm not really tired, but I think I just need you to hold me as you fall asleep."

Max felt Chloe snuggle up next to her, arms wrapping around her waist as Max leaned her head slightly back so that she could feel Chloe's breath on her neck. Letting out a contented noise, Max closed her eyes and let the slowing beat of Chloe's heart take her mind away from tonight, away from Arcadia Bay and all of her troubles.

 _Max was running as fast her feet would allow. Taking small sprints through the darkened alleyways of Dublin, Max's desperation showed on her face as she tried to escape her pursuer._ Crap crap crap! _Max thought as she chided herself,_ I shouldn't have stayed here this long! I should've took off as soon as I was rested. _Max had stayed in Dublin for a month, squatting in abandoned homes and alleyways as she was forced to live off of people's pets and the few stray animals she had found out at night. She thought herself foolish in that she could find a place to relax, to unwind and take some photos. Clutching her camera bag as her backpack slightly bounced on her back, Max pushed forward._

 _Hearing a noise from behind her, Max saw her pursuer joined by a second, a third, shadow as they slowly began to gain ground. Cursing, Max thought_ Fuck it _and started to sprint in as she crossed the streets as well. Pushing her body to the limit, Max took a sharp turn into an alleyway and careened into a fence, shattering the wood boards as her body came tumbling through. Scrambling up, Max hurriedly grabbed at the few possessions she had before seeing that one of the people after her had stopped a few feet away._

" _Just leave me_ alone _!" Max pleaded, "You won't even tell me what I did! Person after person, and I'm always running! Just…just let me go!"_

 _The person who caught up with her didn't say anything. Max couldn't make out his face, hair and clothing obscuring all but his glowing violet eyes. Dropping her things gently to the side, Max clenched her fists as she crouched._

" _Please. Please, don't make me fight," Max pleaded one final time._

 _The pursuer, a male judging by his size, came sprinting at Max, knocking her against the brick wall of a building behind her with a crack. Max cried out in pain as she felt something in her side snap, leaning to that side as she favored the injury. Taking a punch to the stomach, Max heaved as she was dragged by her hair. A punch to the face, and another to the stomach, and Max was barely conscious. Her strength fading, Max grasped at the coat of her pursuer as he looked down at her. Feeling his hands hesitate for a moment, Max focused what strength and consciousness she had left and began a desperate counterattack._

 _Pulling her attacker in close by tugging on the coat, Max rammed her forehead against his face. Breaking his nose, Max kneed him in the stomach, and felt a satisfying crunch as his side became wounded as well. Wincing from the pain of her injuries and exertion, Max teetered before feeling a rush of wind as her attacker's hand failed to collide with her face. Swinging her own arm back, Max threw her entire body into the punch and toppled them both as she landed on him._

 _Only able to see out of a single eye, Max glared at her pursuer with a cold hatred, clamping her hands around his throat. The attacker finally broke his silence with a small grimace as he spoke, trying to pull Max's hands away._

 _"I don't…need to breathe, idiot…" Max's pursuer spat, clutching at the single hand holding him down. He didn't get a chance to speak any further._

 _Taking the opportunity with him distracted on the hand keeping him pinned to the ground, Max's other hand slammed down hard as it connected with his throat. Pushing her fingers through skin and flesh, Max gritted her teeth as she pulled her clenched hand back with her attacker's wind pipe wrenching out. Feeling the body pinned under her spasm from the onslaught of pain, Max held the gory length of flesh for a moment before she dropped it on her attacker's chest and slid off of him. Panting, Max bent over as she threw up a brackish substance and began to sob. Max didn't notice the other two pursuers arrive until she heard one of them speak._

 _"Sweet Jesus," a female voice said, making Max weakly turn her head._ Heh, twins. Of course they're twins. I've…walked into a goddamn horror movie…

 _Max passed out, her vision darkening as a man put reached down to grab her._

"Max! Max, calm down! You're here, you're safe!" Max heard a voice call out as she began to wake up. Temporarily disoriented, Max feebly thrashed about for a moment before her surroundings became familiar to her. A familiar scent attracting her attention, Max turned around to see a wide-eyed Chloe lying right next to her, arms encircling Max's waist.

"Jesus fuck, Max. Even your nightmares are hardcore," Chloe said as she kissed Max's forehead, "You started crying and shaking and I got hella scared, nerd. Are you alright?"

Max blinked her eyes a few times, wrestling with her grogginess, before speaking up.

"Nightmare," Max said, her voice dripping with fatigue, "A memory from a while back. Bad juju."

"Want to talk about it?" Chloe asked, moving to let go of Max. When Max, clamped her hand around Chloe to keep herself locked in Chloe's arms, the taller girl chuckled. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse," Max said, "Being chased through Dublin. That night felt like it wouldn't end, and not in a good way, either."

"Dublin. What's it like there? I mean, when you're not being chased by people who want to box you up and toss you into the ocean," Chloe asked as she leaned over so that her chin was resting on the top of Max's head.

"I…I like the nightlife, the pubs and the streets at night. Sure, there's always someone out and about, but there are real moments of tranquility too. Plus, the accents! The accents are so cool!"

"Take me there?" Chloe asked, grinning.

"Che, I will take you anywhere you want to go. That's a promise," Max said with a small grin as she stretched and climbed out of bed, her stomach growling, "Ugh, what time is it?"

"Hella early for me. It's like 9 in the morning. It's late for you, though, isn't it?" Chloe asked as she laid flat on her back in bed.

"I don't even know anymore. I feel better when I sleep during the day, but so long as I'm fueled up while it's daytime I hardly even notice. So long as I don't overwork myself," Max said, bending down to kiss Chloe before heading over to the kitchen.

Max opened the freezer and pulled out one of her jugs. With a smirk, Max popped the cap off so that it shot from where she was standing to the trash can a few feet away and took in a large gulp of her cocktail. Closing her eyes as she fed, Max sighed as mouthful after mouthful flooded her system, knocking away what haziness she still had from her slumber. Tilting the jug almost straight up, Max caught the last few drops as she pulled her mouth away and promptly tossed the empty container in the sink. _Seize the day, Max Caulfield._

"What's on Vampire Max's agenda?" Chloe asked as she came up from behind to wrap her arms around Max. Putting a hand on Chloe's cheek, Max turned her head and leaned up into Chloe's lips for a second before the other girl recoiled, "Ugh, dude. Gross. You _just_ ate."

"Hasn't always stopped you," Max said with a shrug as she leaned her head back into the nape of Chloe's neck, "I have to be at Blackwell around noon. Principal Wells left me a voicemail, said he wanted to see me. Also, I thought I would see if Mr. Jefferson would look over some shots I've been eyeing from the last series of seascapes I did."

"Ah. So, uh, about last night…," Chloe asked, pulling away from Max before going to the fridge herself to get a carton of milk for her breakfast, "Um, look. I'm sorry I wasn't in the mood. Everything lately is hella nuts and I just didn't think-"

"Che, it's alright. You were right. I mean, yeah, I'm bummed at the lack of naked Chloe goodness but we have more important things to work out," Max said, reaching into the sink to pull a clean bowl out for Chloe, "The cereal's in that cabinet."

Following Max's hand, Chloe opened one of the top cabinets and pulled out a box of cereal. Nearly filling the bowl to the brim with cereal and milk, Chloe began to munch away at her breakfast while leaning against the counter as Max continued.

"The big question right now is…well, _that_ ," Max said, pointing down at the floor, "What do you expect to do with _that_?"

" _Rachel_ ," Chloe said between bites.

" _That_ was Rachel. You want to get your hopes up? Fine. But I see the thing that nearly killed Kate and tried to attack you. I'm being protective, so your gripe is weak sauce," Max said putting a hand on her hip.

" _Fine_. But I can't just…please don't kill her, Max. I don't know how I'm holding my shit together now, let alone if my girlfriend were to kill one of my former best friends. Or vice-versa," Chloe replied as she sat down the half-full bowl, looking up to see Max gazing at her. "What?"

"Nothing. I just can't remember you actually calling me your girlfriend out loud before," Max said, surprised.

"Dude, we've been together long enough. Also, we live together. I'm pretty sure we're in girlfriend territory. I just don't always feel the need to label it."

"You're such a tease, my 'fragile little flower'," Max said with a wink as she made her way to the bathroom, hearing an "Ugh" emanate from Chloe back in the kitchen.

Max brushed her teeth a couple of times to ensure that her breath was minty fresh and now smelling like the inside of an operating room, then hopped in the shower. Finishing up, Max wrapped herself in a towel and was heading for the bedroom when she felt a sharp yank coming from behind. Gasping, Max felt the towel get pulled off of her body as Chloe laughed behind her.

" _Chloe!_ " Max exclaimed, instinctively covering herself with her hands, "Chloe Elizabeth Price, you fucking jerk!"

"Oh, you should see your face!" Chloe said, nearly folding in half from laughter, "Fuck, you look so weird sometimes when you can't blush. Oh man, I needed that."

"Gee," Max said as she quickly snatched the towel from Chloe's hand before tossing it in the blue-haired jerk's face, "I'm glad that I amuse you _so much_."

Max quickly dressed, blue jeans and a red, short-sleeve blouse with her boots, glaring at Chloe out of the corner of her eye as the other girl leaned against the bathroom doorway. Huffing a couple times as she would glance over, Max rolled her eyes at the dopey grin forming on Chloe's face.

"Such a goddamn dork," Max said with a grin before suddenly growing very quiet. Seeing the look on her girlfriend's face, Chloe walked over and put a hand on Max's shoulder only for Max to flinch away.

"Chloe, you need to be prepared for the likelihood that…," Max stammered, not able to meet Chloe's gaze.

"Likelihood of…no, Max, do _not_ say it," Chloe said, her voice and face becoming stern.

"Chloe. I don't know what I'm doing. I've spent most of my time as a vampire _running away from vampires_. I know enough for myself to get by, not how to housebreak a goddamn Feral. If it can even _be_ housebroken…," Max said, trying to make Chloe understand.

"Do not say it, Max. Just don't-"

"If I can't bring Rachel out of whatever is down there I will have no choice but to-"

"Max…"

"…I'll have no choice but to kill her."

The apartment was silent as Max and Chloe looked at one another in pain, albeit for different reasons. Chloe didn't want to think about her long-lost love killing the girl who had saved her while the other was away. Max didn't want to think about the consequences of killing someone so important to Chloe. Both girls glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes, unable to look at each other face-to-face. The silence quickly becoming awkward, Max was the first to move. Walking around Chloe, Max went to the kitchen and pulled out a stack of Styrofoam cups and a stack of lids. Pulling a single cup and lid, Max went to the fridge and poured some of her cocktail into the cup, closing the lid around it tightly before poking a straw through the lid. Looking back at Chloe with a tired smile, Max made to head outside.

"Where are you going?" Chloe asked after Max, causing the young vampire to stop and look back at Chloe.

"I'm going to try and feed it, Chloe. Because I can't trust it to be near you," Max said plainly.

"But you said-"

"I'm doing this _for_ you. I don't agree with it, and I don't like it. It's dangerous, Chloe, and it nearly killed Kate. It could've killed you, but I'm going to go feed it because if I have to end up killing it at least you will know that I fucking _tried_ ," Max said, her voice relaying how emotionally drained she was starting to feel. Seeing Chloe put her hand to her mouth with teary eyes, Max slumped her shoulders and headed outside.

Max heard a low hiss from the first floor as she pried a corner piece of the boards she had used to nail the window shut off and slipped inside. The only light coming from the small space through which she had entered, Max's eyes adjusted instantly and the room was suddenly visible with a luminescent glow. Inching over to where she saw the creature weakly thrashing about, Max paused a couple feet away from it with the cup in her hand.

"Rachel," Max said softly, looking for a response. Not seeing any acknowledgement, Max squatted down and extended the cup in the Feral's direction, "Rachel. Hey, Rachel."

Swishing the contents of the cup around, Max watched as the creature suddenly stiffened and sniffed the air, its head jerking around to look at the cup with two hungry, yellow eyes as it bared its fangs. Jaws snapping, the creature vainly attempted to lunge at the cup of blood only to let out a slight moan as a piece of bare skin would brush up against the iron rebar pinning it down. Inching closer, Max pried the lid off and waved the cup around a little more, seeing if the Feral would behave. Max was disappointed, the Feral continuing to snap its jaws as it struggled to get at the blood a foot away from its face.

"Crap," Max said, leaning on one knee before cracking the creature across the head with a swift punch. Watching the creature reel from the sudden blow, Max grabbed it by the face and pushed at its jaws. Forcing the creature to open its mouth with a squeeze, Max lifted the cup over its head and poured the blood directly in its mouth with a disgusted sigh. Stopping before the cup was completely drained, Max pulled the cup out of the reach of its mouth and down the rest of it herself, "This is bullshit."

Standing up, Max brushed the dirt off of her jeans and headed towards the window, trying not to look irritated as she saw Chloe peeking out of the small open space Max needed to climb through to get out.

"Worst Peeping Tom. _Ever_ ," Max called after Chloe, the other girl trying to hide. Max grinned in satisfaction as she heard a "Shit!" come from the other side of the boards before slipping out of the makeshift crawlspace. Wedging the board back in place, Max heard the tail end of a slight hiss from inside before turning her attention to the incredibly awkward-looking Chloe. " _Why_ did you feel the need to watch that?"

"Just curious, I guess. Kinda couldn't believe that you were willing to feed her," Chloe said, moving to wrap her arms around Max's shoulders as she leaned in for a kiss, "Hella love you for the effort, though."

"Yeah, and it worked out _so_ well. I called out 'Rachel' and got hisses and snarls in return. I'd have better luck feeding a dog," Max said, shaking her head at Chloe's optimism, "This is _really_ not going to end well, Chloe. I _need_ you to be prepared for that."

"…I don't know if I can be prepared for something like that, Max. If you have to…with Rachel, I don't know if I can be with you," Chloe said quietly, the sadness in her tone making Max feel bad.

"Is that…are you threatening me? Are you giving me an ultimatum?" Max asked, pulling Chloe around to face her as the other girl moved away.

"I'm not threatening you, Max. I'm just saying…with everything that is happened, I have been able to push through it because I have you. If you were kill Rachel, I don't know what I would do," Chloe said, yanking her arm out of Max's grip.

Max walked behind Chloe as the two girls went up the stairs into the apartment, Max only pausing to collect her things before taking off without telling Chloe she was leaving. _I need some time to think, some space. I don't need to breathe but I feel as though I'm hyperventilating, like when I was a kid._ Climbing onto her Vespa, Max started the scooter up and drove away from the building, away from Chloe and whatever used to be Rachel. She had no real destination – she just wanted to be somewhere else.

Max drove through the streets of Arcadia Bay, wandering around town as she thought of everything that had happened since she had come back to her old hometown. Pulling into the small lot by Two Whales, Max almost went inside, searching for some possible sage wisdom from Joyce, before deciding to leave her out of what was between her and Chloe. _What I could explain, anyway._ Max thought about driving to the lighthouse, but the memory of being carried out in chains was still prevalent in her mind enough to make Max start to become more anxious. _That feeling will always probably be there_ _one way or another_.

Deciding to head over to Blackwell early, Max parked her scooter in the visitor's lot as she looked around. _Not quite the end of the period. No students in the courtyard, which is nice. Peaceful for a change._ Taking her camera bag out of the small storage area under the seat, Max secured her helmet and began to head up the steps toward the main building when she saw Nathan Prescott standing near the gym, handing something over to another student as he collected what appeared to be money in return. _He's not just crazy. He's also a drug dealer. Great school you have here, Principal Wells, what with one of your most prominent students shilling out meds. On campus. During the day. Ugh_. Nathan turned around and spotted the approaching Max, pausing in his departure towards the main building long enough to give her a shit look and the middle finger. _Fuck you, too. Asshole._ Feeling her phone vibrate from inside the pocket of her leather jacket, Max pulled it out and began to scroll through Chloe's incoming texts.

 **Chloe: where'd u go?**

 **Chloe: u mad at me?**

 **Chloe: ily plz don't b mad**

 **Max: I'm not mad, just tired**

 **Max: of everything**

 **Max: I wanna just run away**

 **Chloe: Vegas?**

 **Max: Nah, too noisy and loud**

 **Max: Big Sur**

 **Max: Cali**

 **Chloe: Nice can I come?**

 **Max: course who else am I gonna marry**

 **Chloe: wtf I want this shit in writing**

 **Max: At Blackwell. Come c me?**

 **Chloe: no thanx call me when ur done**

Sliding the phone back in her pocket, Max turned the corner only to nearly walk right into Nathan.

"Well, if it isn't the freak-ass feminazi," Nathan said, "Did you enjoy the show back there?"

"Take a step _back_ , Nathan Prescott," Max said, clenching her fists as her tone grew hostile, "Just leave me the fuck alone. I don't have time for your bullshit _or_ you."

"Wait, you're trying to tell _me_ what to do?" Nathan asked, almost sounding like he was in shock as his upper lip curled into a sneer, "Bitch you don't know who you're messing with. My family owns this school and _half the town_. I could have you and your white-trash girlfriend booted the fuck outta here so fast you wouldn't realize it until you were out in the cold."

Rolling her eyes, Max shouldered Nathan out of her way and continued walking toward the courtyard, hearing Prescott yell after her for a moment before going off in whatever direction he was headed. Stepping inside the main building, Max saw David heading away from her and quickly rushed into the main office, asking the secretary to let Principal Wells know she was here. Waiting in the office, Max was flipping through photography articles on her phone when a text message popped up on her phone.

 **Private: This is Antony**

 **Private: You will meet me at the diner from before in 1 hour.**

 **Private: Do not be late, Max. We have something to discuss**

Max stared at the screen for a moment, wondering at what Antony could want to talk to her about. Max thought that she was going to be left alone after what happened that night with the Ferals. _Ferals…oh, shit. Does he know about Rachel Amber?_ Max was so focused on her own thoughts that she didn't notice Principal Wells calling her in until he said her name for the fourth time.

"Um, Ms. Caulfield? Max?" Wells asked, his curiosity beginning to be outweighed by irritation. Max snapped out of her train of thought and abruptly got up, her camera bag falling off her lap and onto the floor. The metal bottle inside rolled out and began to head for the secretary's desk before Max stopped it hastily with her foot, terrified of someone asking questions about it. _'What's in this bottle, Ms. Caulfield?' Oh, you know, blood. The stuff of life. Well, your life. For my life. Want some?_ Hastily shoving everything that had fallen out back into her bag, Max quickly followed Principal Wells into his office and looked on in curiosity as she saw that Mr. Jefferson was also present.

"Hi, Mr. Jefferson. Uh, what are you doing here?" Max asked as she took the seat she was offered, her brow furrowed at Jefferson's pained expression.

"Principal Wells asked me to sit in on this meeting," Mr. Jefferson said as he scratched at the back of his head. _Is he nervous? What is this? Am I in trouble?_

"Max, I am glad you decided to come in early, with classes already underway. Look, I don't want to beat around this so I will just cut straight to it. We have to suspend your activities here at Blackwell for the time being," Wells said as he took his seat at the desk.

"Wait, what?" Max asked, "Is there something wrong with my performance? I thought I was doing okay. Mr. Jefferson, you never told me that-"

"Your performance has nothing to do with this, Max," Mr. Jefferson said, looking over at Wells, "This concerns an allegation made by some students."

"Max, are you selling drugs on campus?" Wells asked bluntly, drawing out a stupefied look from Max in return.

"What the hell…? I'm being accused of being a drug dealer?" _Nathan Prescott. That's why you had a shit-eating grin. Ugh, asshole!_ "I don't even use over-the-counter drugs, let alone sell illegal ones. Who made these 'allegations'? Can you tell me that?" _I can probably name two._

"Pending an inquiry, Blackwell would like to retain the anonymity requested by the students making the allegation, Ms. Caulfield. If it is proven that these accusations are false, I don't see why you couldn't return to Blackwell at your earliest convenience. However, if it _is_ true, I will have to alert the authorities and your relationship with this institution will be terminated as soon as possible. I asked Mr. Jefferson here because I expected that you would want your personal items from his classroom returned to you. Mark?"

"Max," Jefferson said, turning around and grabbing a small cardboard box before handing it to Max, "For the record, I don't believe you could possibly be involved in anything like what you are being accused of. _When_ this is proved to be false, I will personally welcome you back."

Max was stunned. Someone on this campus hated her enough to get her kicked out, when all she did was work in a single class only a couple times per week? _What the hell is wrong with this school? I am_ so _glad I was never a Blackwell student, it'd probably be a nightmare to come here every day. This sucks!_ Standing up, Max clutched at the box as she began to walk toward the office door. Stopping mid-stride, Max turned her head and looked at Principal Wells, who had his chin rested on steepled fingers.

"Don't bother contact me, either way. You're accusing me of something I didn't do, and I bet whoever told you I sold drugs has no _actual_ proof. It's bullshit, I'm insulted, and I quit," Max said, turning back to the door and promptly exiting the office before either Wells or Jefferson could reply. Walking towards the double doors, Max saw David come in from the other side of them and moved to the side. She wasn't quick enough to escape his attention, however, and felt his glare as he watched her slide by him toward the door.

"I knew you were trouble, second I laid eyes on you. Maybe you'll get the hell out of here, and leave my family alone," David said, his hostility obvious in both posture and voice.

"Whatever," Max said, not in the mood to deal with anybody at this point. Backpedaling out the doors, Max turned and quickly descended the steps as she headed back to her Vespa. _Two days of crap. Thanks, world._ When Max got to her scooter, she quickly rummaged through the box to see if there was anything of note that she might need. Copies of portfolios she had the originals of, a few memory cards with slideshows she had prepared, a photo Jefferson had taken of herself with the class. Stuffing the memory cards and the class picture into her camera bag, Max dumped the box and its remaining contents into the garbage before zipping out of Blackwell, giving the school the finger as she drove out the parking lot.

Max's mood was darkening as she headed towards Two Whales. She couldn't remember the last time she had a good day, a day where she didn't feel like shit for the majority of her waking hours. Cussing under her breath, Max's thoughts of leaving Arcadia Bay became more prominent as she increased the throttle and shot through town, electing to take alleyways and side roads so as to avoid any heavy traffic as noon approached. _First Rachel, then Blackwell, and now a visit from your friendly neighborhood kidnapper and torturer. Yay._ Max's brakes squealed as she stopped the scooter in the diner's parking lot suddenly enough that the rear end lifted a couple inches of the ground. Looping the strap of her helmet over one of the handlebars, Max slid off her Vespa and sullenly made her way inside.

Antony was waiting at the booth they had been sitting at the last time he had come here to see her. Not noticing Joyce as she waved, Max briskly moved over to the booth and dumped her back in the bench as she took the seat, getting a raised eyebrow from Antony at her ill-tempered disposition. Shrugging, Antony signaled for the waitress and Joyce came walking over, looking at Max with concern for a moment before shifting her attention to the gentleman in the sports jacket.

"Coffee for me, please, and some milk," Antony said, looking over at Max, "I believe that will be all today."

"Max, honey, are you alright? You look-" Joyce said, slightly unnerved. She had never seen Max in such a foul mood.

"I'm sorry, Joyce. Not really in a talkative mood, today," Max blurted out before looking up to see Joyce's compassionate expression, "Uh, sorry. Really. Can I have…a coffee, I guess?"

Nodding silently, Joyce headed off as the two customers stared at each other for a moment. Antony let Max sulk for a moment, waiting as Joyce brought them their drinks, before speaking up.

"So. I hear that you have a problem," Antony said, getting a questioning look from Max, "Stephen messaged me. Said you sounded somewhat frantic."

"I thought you would all be long gone by now," Max said, her tone cold as she sipped at the coffee once before setting it aside, "Everything's fine."

"Yes, because you look completely calm."

"Concern from the person who," Max sputtered before lowering her voice to a whisper, not wanting to draw any more attention, "who _tortured_ me, who _kidnapped_ me? You'll forgive me if I think you can fuck off, so please do. Fuck off."

"Ripper, this will not do," Antony said, his coffee cup shaking ever so slightly as she reigned in his ire, "I came her out of concern. I told you, you are square with us after your assistance outside of this little hamlet. You wanted peace, you have it. I am here to make sure you can _keep_ it."

"…The Feral," Max uttered, wiping a hand across her face as the exhaustion from the past two days caught up with her, "You're here about the Feral."

"Do you know where it is?"

"No." _Liar._

"…Are you sure?"

"Yes." _Liar, liar. Set my own damn house on fire._

"If you cannot take care of this issue, we will send somebody who can," Antony said, his calm tone giving way to a warning, "And it won't be me who comes to you. Your human, the girl you are seeing, she knows what you are?"

"Stop right there," Max uttered, glancing around to ensure no one was listening, " _Stop._ You do _not_ threaten her. I will feed you your goddamn tongue."

Max watched Antony's body tense at the open threat and the two of them stared each other down, neither person budging until Antony got up from the booth and dropped some money on the table for the drinks.

"I know you will hate me for a long time, Ripper, but a month is a blink in the eye for our kind. Your feelings towards this girl run deep, that is obvious. Which is more important to you, a grudge towards me and your own kind or someone whom you obviously cherish?" Antony asked before walking out of the diner. Max sat in silence for a moment, pulling her now-cold coffee to her and downing the bitter drink in a single gulp. She was about to get out of the booth herself when Joyce slid into the seat that had been occupied by Antony.

"Max, you want to tell me what is bothering you?" Joyce asked, concern lining her face. Max didn't know if it was the sweetness in Joyce's voice, or the events of the past two days welling up, but she felt something inside her give.

"I quit my job at Blackwell when they suspended me because I've been accused of selling drugs on the campus. I've got…things going on with Chloe that could actually break us apart, and it just feels like almost every single move I have made since coming back her has been a misstep. I'm just…just _done,_ Joyce. Like, I don't think I can take any more crap," Max vented out at Joyce, feeling like a small weight had been lifted. _I wish I could talk to Chloe like I can to Joyce. Then again, Chloe is hardly impartial when it comes to me and what goes on in our lives._

"Hun, you've always had a good head on your shoulders. When you left with your family, I knew that you would go and do great things. I was sad for Chloe, she missed you so much and it broke her heart to watch you go. But I also knew that it broke yours. Now, you've come back an adult. Sure, you took off for a few years, but you made a name for yourself outside of here and chose to _come back_ for Chloe. If this place isn't working out for you, Max, you don't have to stay. And if you love Chloe like I know you do, you'll find some way to make things work," Joyce said as she leaned over and put a reassuring hand on Max's shoulder.

"How did you get so wise, Joyce?" Max said, struggling to not break into a grin and failing, her mood lightening somewhat.

"Years of hard work and lots of coffees served, sweetheart. Now, go do what you have to do. It is ultimately your life, Max, so go live it."

Max nodded as she pondered Joyce's words. _What needs to be done and what Chloe wants done are_ really _two separate things. I knew what I would have to do the second I saw what Rachel had become, but I let Chloe's pain hold me back. Urgh, I'm so confused!_ Max slid out of the booth with her heart sunk and made her way outside just in time to watch Chloe pull into the parking lot. Max thought about making a break for it on her scooter but Joyce's words held her feet down firmly as Chloe climbed out of her truck and strutted towards her.

"Saw your scooter and came back around," Chloe said as she wrapped an arm around Max's shoulders, "What's say you and I see if Joyce will fix us a late breakfast?"

"…," Max held onto her arm with her other hand as she tried to think of something to say, feeling very awkward about the intensity of the discussion they needed to have and their current location.

"Max, what's wrong? Hey, seriously, you okay? You look hella depressed," Chloe asked, grinning as she affectionately let go of Max only to playfully punch her in the shoulder.

"I got suspended from Blackwell, Chloe, so I just quit altogether," Max said, her voice even as she began to piece together what and how she would say to her girlfriend.

"You for real? Holy shit, what'd you do? Did you bite David? Because, y'know, I can't make out with you anymore. Or anything else. _Gross_."

"How can you be so cheerful? I mean… _how_?" Max asked, her voice strained from the mixed emotions bubbling up to the surface, "With everything that is going on right now, and everything that has happened, how can you stay so positive?"

Chloe paused at that question, realizing that Max wasn't just teasing her this time. Max's serious expression was replicated on Chloe's face as the taller girl became thoughtful.

"I dunno, Max. There's you, of course. You've fucking been my rock, for the most part. As for other ways I cope, I…I just try not to think about some of it, the bits that bother me. Look," Chloe said, looking around the parking lot, "Do you really want to have a serious discussion? Because I don't think that _this_ is the place for one."

Max responded by walking over to Chloe's truck and lightly knocking on the passenger side door. Taking Max's cue, Chloe walked over and climbed inside the driver's seat, leaning over to unlock the other door so that Max could climb in. Turning the ignition over, Chloe started to pull out of the parking lot when she looked over at Max.

"What about your scooter?" Chloe asked.

"I'll come by later for it," Max replied, "Where we going?"

"Uh, if we're going to have a 'real talk' then I would like to find somewhere I can at least blaze. That cool?" Chloe asked, raising her eyebrows in expectation.

"That's fine. Good to know you're taking our serious talk seriously," Max said with a faint snicker.

"Hey, I take all our talks seriously. I just need to bake as preparation for the ultra-super-mega talks." With that, Chloe resumed her pulling out of the parking lot and drove down the street as the two of them became lost in thought.

Initially deciding on the lighthouse, Chloe had changed her mind when she saw Max tense up as they approached the parking lot at the bottom of the hill. Quickly pulling back onto the road, Chloe opted to head for the junkyard instead and watched as Max's body seemed to relax somewhat. Max didn't say anything the entire drive, staring out the windshield with a pensive expression on her face. _I don't know what I'm going to say_ , Max thought as she wracked her brain over the bombardment of things they needed to talk about. _Rachel, Arcadia Bay, there's just so much. We're both walking on eggshells but Chloe's trying to avoid everything altogether. I don't think this is going to end well._

The junkyard was quiet save for the passing train as Max and Chloe climbed out of the truck. Taking Chloe's proffered hand, Max used her free hand to take a quick photo of a contemplative Chloe as she led them both to the small building that was Chloe's hideaway. Waving Max in with a flourish, Chloe called her "Madame" and smacked Max on the butt before entering herself. Rummaging through the pile of random stuff on the makeshift table, Chloe found a single joint and pouted at the lack of pot aside from the small blunt in her hand. Shoulders slumping, Chloe pulled out her lighter and began to weakly puff at the lone doobie while Max wiggled herself into a comfortable position on the bench next to the one Chloe was sitting on. Max shook her head politely when Chloe patted at the empty space beside her, taking a drink from her sports bottle when her stomach growled. Fastening the cap, Max let the taste sink in for a few seconds before taking in some air and exhaling it hard.

"We need to talk about what's in the floor beneath us," Max said in a rush, not wanting to give Chloe a moment to object or change the subject, "I know what I have to do, and I'm terrified you will hate me for it and never want to see me again. I'm scared something will happen to you, either from Rachel getting loose or someone other than me coming for it."

"You called her Rachel," Chloe said slowly, stubbing out the joint as she leaned forward on her knees, "Max…I really don't-"

"Please, Che, don't avoid this. I _can't_ , okay? You can be as carefree as you like, but the responsibility for what is going on _right now_ falls on me. There's no one else suited for this, and no one else _can do this_ ," Max said, her voice lowering as her strength began to fail her before the look of sadness in Chloe's eyes. _Please, Dog, do not take her away from me. She's all I have right now._

Chloe closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers, then stood up and paced a little in silence. Looking over at Max's solemn face and pain-ridden eyes, Chloe's expression softened somewhat as what Max was saying weighed on her.

"Goddamnit, you've been going at it alone on all this, haven't you? I mean, I'm there for you right? But I'm not _with_ you on all of this," Chloe said, tearing her beanie off her head and throwing it aside in frustration as she rubbed at her temples, "Fuck. I thought…I think that it's my, like, defense mechanism or something. I've been fucked with so many times that I just push all the bad shit away. This is real, isn't it? Rachel is…is really gone…"

Max stood up and walked over to Chloe as the taller girl shook from choking back tears, helping her back to the bench and sitting beside her. Max leaned Chloe's head onto her shoulder as they both just sat there without speaking a word, the only noise being Chloe's short intakes of breath as she fought off the urge to cry.

"I think I'll fall apart," Chloe murmured, her voice cracking from the despair she felt, "I don't think I will be able to manage all of this, Max. If she goes, I might follow along with her. I've shut out so much – David's abuse, the anger and pain that I pushed away with the drugs, you leaving, my dad dying, Rachel fucking bailing – I won't be able to manage it all."

"You don't have to do it all at once. I'll be there, Chloe," Max said, trying to reassure herself as much as she was Chloe, "But you also have to be there for me. I need more than smirks, kisses, and sarcasm. I need you to have my back like I have yours. I've…I've got some weighty shit going on, and I need my Che."

"Your Che?"

" _Mine_."

Chloe slipped her fingers into Max's and lifted their connected hands so that they were hovering at eye level with both girls. Chloe softly kissed at Max's knuckles and squeezed the other girl's hand, Max repeating the gesture in an unspoken oath. Both girls uncertain, both shaken and hurt, they leaned against one another and let the hours pass by as they held each other in a moment of quiet comfort.

Night had fallen before the girls left their hideout from the rest of the world, more somber but also a little more united. Chloe realized that she was shouldering too much on Max, and Max realized that Chloe needed real help with unburdening herself of years of pain and loss. They didn't need to say anything to each other as they walked away from the junkyard, hand in hand; they simply got in the truck and drove away, their destination clear as their apartment building loomed on the forefront of both their minds. Squeezing Chloe's hand, Max looked over at her and gave her a single kiss, gentle and loving, returned by Chloe with a kiss of equal tenderness. They were resolute, determined to not let anything come between them anymore.

The quiet drive was mirrored by the silence of Arcadia Bay at night. Avoiding the busier areas of town, Max and Chloe drove through the town at a determined pace. Not too hurried in need of arriving at their destination, the ride was more methodical, the speed deliberate in a balance of urgency and hesitation. Arriving at the apartment, Chloe pulled into the alleyway and around the back instead of the parking lot across the street. The engine running idle, Max and Chloe sat in the truck for a moment as they both summoned their courage for what needed to be done.

The first to open her door, Max came around and opened the driver's door. Switching off the engine, Chloe took Max's hand and climbed out of the cab, quietly closing the door behind her. Taking a moment, Chloe moved in to Max and gave her girlfriend a gentle hug. Swaying a bit, the two of them found solace in each other's arms as their minds met in synchronicity at what needed to be done. Walking toward the boarded-up window, Max let go of Chloe's hand as she sniffed at the air. _Something's wrong_.

"Something's wrong. Chlo, go get your shotgun," Max cautioned, alternating her attention between Chloe and the window. Returning after a few moments, Chloe walked up as she was loading shell after shell into the pump-action weapon. Chambering the first shell with a pump, Chloe nodded at Max. Max crouched as she approached the window, her fangs popped open defensively, and carefully pulled back the piece she had been using as a makeshift hatch. Noticing that it was resting against the other boards and not wedged in like she had secured it, Max sniffed the air and caught a familiar scent. _Nathan Prescott?_

"Does Nathan Prescott know where we live?" Max asked, looking over to Chloe in confusion.

"Uh, not that I know of. I mean, someone tried to break in while you were…gone that month. It was dark and I chased whoever it was out. Maybe it was Nathan…?" Chloe said with an apologetic shrug.

"Don't worry about that. I smell him, Chloe. He was here, but who knows what he was here _for_ ," Max said, cautioning Chloe to stay close behind her as she slipped inside, "Turn on the flashlight that's attached to that thing."

Max saw a small shaft of light make a circle on the floor of the large space under their apartment as the flashlight attached to Chloe's shotgun came on with a _click_. Max's eyes scanned the space quickly and froze as she looked at the support beam where Rachel had been pinned down. _Oh…oh, shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit!_

There was blood, Max could smell it before she saw the stain, next to where the rebar had been pried off. Kicking at the iron with her booted foot as Chloe quickly came up behind her, Max put a finger to the sticky pool of drying blood and lifted it to her nose. Her stomach growling at the proximity of the drying human blood, Max pushed her wanting to feed aside as she sniffed at the air around the beam and examined the floor around it.

"There's sneaker tracks, two sets leading in and two out, but there's also a set of footprints leading in the opposite direction, along with a few drops of blood next to them," Max said, trailing the bloody footprints to a broken window on the opposite side of the building, "The blood is Rachel's. One of the shoeprints belongs to Nathan, in all likelihood, but the other is smaller. A girl's, maybe?"

"Bitchtoria. That's my guess, anyway," Chloe said, her voice like steel, "Stupid fucks."

"They left the way they came in, but there's no tire tracks so they walked or took the bus. Maybe a car parked down the street, I dunno," Max said, thinking back to the alleyway, "But the prints are really fresh. We can follow either Nathan and Victoria's…or Rachel's…"

"Um, what do you think we should do?" Chloe asked, her voice tense.

"Ugh, probably the two idiots. Rachel's like a rabid dog, yeah, but if Nathan and Victoria start to talk about someone being held prisoner in the floor beneath our apartment, we're both fucked," Max said, putting the palm of her right hand to her face, "Shit. Rachel gets a pass. For now. Don't look too relieved, Chloe."

"Sorry," Chloe grimaced, "I know that we'll have to come back to her, but I can't help it if part of me is glad."

Max walked over to Chloe and gave her a small kiss on the cheek, patting her shoulder as she signaled for them to head back out the way they came in.  
"I know, but you need to prepare yourself. Seriously, Chloe, the phrase 'shit is about to get real' is applicable."

"So is 'looks like we've got a badass over here', Max. I mean, look at you, all serious and fangy."

" _Two_ badasses. You're the one with a boomstick."

"Hail to the Queen, baby!"

Back in the alleyway, Max sent a group text to Dana and Juliet. Figuring that they were together, Max didn't want to take any chances.

 **Max: Hey**

 **Max: Chloe and I think that Nathan broke into our apt. u seen Vic?**

 **Dana: OMG**

 **Juliet: WTF is she with him?**

 **Max: we think so**

 **Dana: wow umm they said something about the lighthouse out in the hall**

 **Juliet: yea I remember that. Nathan looked all excited 4 some reason**

 **Dana: what a creep**

 **Juliet: I kno, rite?**

 **Max: Thanx**

 **Dana: did u rly quit? Vic was talking in class about getting u to leave Blackwell**

 **Max: someone spread rumors I was selling drugs on campus**

 **Dana: fuck. u still gonna be around?**

 **Max: we'll see**

 **Max: may need to move to a non-extradition country**

 **Juliet: lol let us kno if ur rly leaving. Or staying. Either way.**

 **Max: k need 2 go ttyl**

"Ready to go, Max The Vampire-slaying Vampire?" Chloe asked with a grin as she started up the truck. Running up to the passenger side, Max hopped in and quickly closed the door.

"The lighthouse. That's where Dana and Juliet heard Nathan and _Bitchtoria_ talking about heading off to," Max said as she buckled in her seat belt."

"Alright. Silent running. No tunes," Chloe said as she started the truck, driving off through the other end of the small back lot behind the apartment building, "I should just park here from now on. Not like anybody's gonna care."

Max and Chloe could hear excited voices coming from the hilltop, the dim glow of a fire cutting through the trees as Nathan and Victoria's voices carried over to Max's sensitive hearing.

"What the fuck _was that_? I mean, there was a girl pinned to a fucking pillar in the floor? And what was with her face, it looked like it was rotting off or something?" Victoria asked, sounding to Max like she was a little drunk. Max motioned for Chloe to stop as they approached the end of the trail. Moving behind a tree, Max and Chloe watched the two other people on the hilltop as their discussion continued.

"Vic, that was _Rachel Amber_ ," Nathan blurted out as he took the flask from his mouth, "She's been missing for months or some shit, fucking bitch. Who knew her dyke friend and that freaky photographer were keeping her like some kinda pet? Did you see the dry blood on her chin? She had been drinking _blood_ , like a fucking vampire or something!"

Max elbowed Chloe as the other girl quietly giggled, mouthing _Quiet!_ to Chloe as she listened further.

"The _one_ time I forget my phone and it's for shit like that. Fucking what's-her-name…Caulfield, that's it…fucking _Max_ Caulfield with her published work and her kissing Mark's ass. Anybody can win Everyday Heroes," Victoria spat out, grabbing the flask from Nathan before tilting it back to take a mouthful of whatever was inside.

"Sorry to hear about that. I know you wanted to win," Nathan said, trying to sound apologetic.

" _Kate Marsh_. He gave it to Kate- _fucking_ -Marsh. 'Little Miss Abstinence'. _Ugh_!"

At that, Max tugged at Chloe's sleeve and the two of them walked out into the open space next to the lighthouse. Not noticed at first, Max looked up at the looming structure and shuddered before hearing a shout coming from the boy sitting next to the small fire.

"Fuck!" Nathan shouted, the first to notice them, "Freaky feminazis!" Victoria looked where Nathan was gawking and narrowed her eyes venomously.

"What do you two want? Here to beg that we don't spill to the world how you were holding someone captive _under your fucking apartment_?" Victoria asked with a sneering flourish as she rose to her feet, "You should be fucking begging right now, blue-haired punk-ass and goth-looking hipster bitch. I bet it was _you_ who got Mark to choose Kate Marsh over me!"

Max and Chloe listened to Nathan and Victoria yell at them for a minute or so before they saw what Nathan was pulling out from behind his jacket. Max, Chloe, and even Victoria froze at the sight of Nathan's shaky hand wielding a revolver.

"You think you can dodge a bullet or whatever you did again, _bitch_?" Nathan shouted at Max, his tone increasing in hostility, "You think that you can trash my room, destroy my shit, and get away with it?! My family _owns_ half this town, and the school! I could shoot you both and no one would even _miss_ your stupid asses, would they?"

"Nathan, what are you doing?" Victoria asked, her eyes wide as she tried to calm Nathan down, flinching as he swung his hand over to aim the handgun at her.

"So what, you're with them now? Stupid feminazis, always where you least expect them! _Get the fuck back_!" Nathan shouted as Max took a step forward.

"Knew I shouldn't have left the shotgun in the truck," Chloe muttered as Max froze in place, Nathan's gun leveled in their direction.

"Hush, Chloe," Max whispered before speaking to Nathan, "You don't want to do this, Nathan. You need to drop the gun and take a step back."

"Don't tell me what to do! You're just like everyone else, trying to fucking control me!" Nathan screamed, his face turning red as he started to really lose it, "You, my fucking doctor, my goddamn parents! I'm so _sick_ of people trying to control me!"

"Put the gun away, you psycho!" Chloe shouted, getting unnerved at the gun still be leveled in her and Max's direction.

Max saw Nathan's trigger finger start to twitch, and her instincts kicked in. When the revolver discharged the first time, she ran into it to prevent the round from hitting Chloe. A pain lanced through her left arm and she shouted "Down!" as Nathan's gun went off a second time, this time in Victoria's direction. Leaping, Max shot out and dropped Victoria to the ground just as the second bullet scrapped across her back. Max felt a nasty scar run across the middle of her back as her fangs popped out, a terrified Victoria looking at her in horror and awe as the two tumbled to the ground. Looking up, Max saw Nathan squeeze the trigger a third and fourth time.

 _Click. Click._

There were no rounds left in the gun.

Nathan's life now belonged to Max.

Crossing the distance between them in less than a heartbeat, Max grabbed Nathan by the chin and lifted him up as she walked toward the cliff's edge, hissing at him almost the entire time with her mouth open and fangs hatefully bared. Max half-heard both Victoria and Chloe shouting at her, but their voices sounded like they were speaking underwater. _Underwater. Pain. Loss. Chained. Antony. Pain._ _ **Hate**_ _._ Max hoisted Nathan up a few inches more and dangled him off the edge of the cliff, his legs kicking wildly as he looked at Max and then at the rocks and waves down below in terror.

"I'm…ghhh…I'm sorry. Please," Nathan said, tears streaming from his eyes as he fought in Max's steely grip to breathe, "Please don't…"

"I've never killed a human before," Max said in a low growl, almost like a purr, "I've got to admit…I'm _curious_. What kind of sound do you make? A _thunk_ , a _splat_? Does the water wash away your remains easy, or does it _stain_ the rocks like you stain the fucking world with your goddamn presence? What do you think, Nathan _Asscott_?"

Max shook him a little, watching cry with a menacing satisfaction. Hearing the other two people on the hilltop close the distance between them, Max sighed and tossed Nathan behind her, hearing him land with a thud as he hit the ground. Turning around, Max looked over at Chloe with a smirk.

"He shot me. Little fucker _shot_ me. _Again_ ," Max said with a chortle, "Ugh. 'Fuck my life', right?"

"Max, what the hell was that-" Chloe started only to be equally shocked as Victoria nearly ran her over as she crossed the distance between her and Max.

"Ohmygod, are you okay? You fucking saved me. I mean…holy shit," Victoria said as she looked at Max in shock, the purple eyes locking onto the blonde girl as she quivered in a state of shock and fear, "What the fuck are you? What is all this? I don't understa-"

" _Sleep_ ," Max said, whispering into Victoria's ear with a commanding tone. Max winced in pain from the bullet wounds as Victoria slumped to the ground. Signaling for Chloe to stay back, Max limped over to a crying Nathan and picked him up off the ground with a grunt, "You listen to me, Nathan Prescott. If you tell _anyone_ about any of this, I'll fucking kill you. You won't see it coming, you won't hear it coming. I'll come to you from out of nowhere and I will make you wish I had dropped you off that cliff."

Max smacked Nathan across the face when he looked down at Victoria, Nathan wincing from the surprisingly hard impact from such a small hand.

"She can't help you, Nathan. She's asleep. When she wakes up, she'll think this entire evening was some fucked up dream. _Look at me._ I tried playing nice with you, just fucking with you like you fucked with me. I wanted to be left alone, I _wanted_ to be left in _peace_. I don't like hurting others, but when I am hurt or people I care about could get hurt…well, you've experienced a taste of how far I'm willing to go. _Do you understand me_?"

Nathan nodded his head emphatically, raising his hands in surrender as his lower lip quivered. Max bared her fangs at him one last time, licking the tip of each one as a warning to Nathan of what would come if he said anything about tonight, and release her hold on him. Nathan began to backpedal down towards the path leading down the hill before Max spoke again.

"Nathan? Give Chloe the gun. _Now_."

Nathan handed the empty revolver to Chloe with a shaking hand before running down the hill, sobbing as he went. Slipping the revolver into the back of her pants, Chloe walked up to Max slowly as the cool-eyed vampire popped her neck while retracting her fangs only to wince from the bullet wounds she sustained.

"Hey," Chloe said, looking at Max with an expression of awe.

"Hey," Max said, returning Chloe's stare.

"So…this is you, too," Chloe said, giving this angry, protective Max a once-over, "I mean, I saw you last night but _damn_ , this was hella amazeballs. You're like a one-woman army or something."

"Right now, Chlo, I'm a vampire with a bullet in her arm and a gash across her back. Ugh, it hurts," Max said, looking at Victoria for a second before bringing her eyes back to Chloe's with a small grin, "But yeah, I guess this _is_ me, too."

"We should go home and get those cleaned up or something," Chloe said, taking Max's uninjured arm and looping it across her shoulders, "Let me help."

Nodding weakly as they left Victoria behind to sleep next to the bench, the two girls made their way towards the path before Max spoke.

"Okay."

 **Author's Note:**

 **So. Chapter 12.**

 **I told you shit was going down. And it did. And it still will.**

 **Life is pretty damn strange, eh?**

 **I want to give some shoutouts before I sign off on this chapter to people who** _ **really**_ **hit me in the feels with their messages and reviews on both this site's PM board, the reviews for this story, and my Tumblr.**

 **To: ninja1662, Candle in the Night, LIFEISSTRANGER, Malgrain, capitalist banter, ChloePrice, lestibur, game, Reilovernat1213, DivinePotato, surfergirlmia, jamesk19, and HugoCogs.**

 **You all and your reviews and kind messages only encourage me more to keep publishing these chapters. Someone asked me how I could put out so much on a daily basis, and I told them because of I want to hear what you have to say.**

 **Read, review, and I'll see you in 13!**

 **Stay hella!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Behind Blue Eyes, after the single by** _ **The Who**_

 **Note – this chapter is NSFW due to smut. Also, hardcore Pricefield. JSYK. ;)**

Max had gone looking for Rachel Amber for the past two nights, running on very little sleep during the day while searching throughout the night. Sweeping Arcadia Bay in chunks, Max had picked up on hints of activity that drew her concern, but no hard evidence that Rachel was even _in_ town anymore. _It might have gone to ground, or scurried out of here. I wonder how much like an animal it really is; it could be making a new nest or something. Ew, that's a disturbing image,_ Max thought as the idea of the a feral Rachel Amber holing up in a giant bird's nest popped across her thought. Reaching the parking lot for Two Whales, Max peeked over the roof edge she was next to in order to ensure no one could see her before dropping down to the pavement. Popping her ankles, Max calmly strode over to where she had parked her Vespa and pulled her helmet on. Wanting to avoid attention to what they were doing, Chloe had suggested that Max drive her Vespa and park it before going on patrol.

"If you drive part of the way, you won't be as hella tired when you come home. Plus, you'd have like a central point for each area you search," Chloe had said after they returned to the apartment two nights ago, Chloe attending to Max's wounds in the bedroom while Max just quietly leaned back on her elbows, "I dunno, like a fucking grid or something."

"When did you get all savvy with perimeters and all that type of crap?" Max asked, an eyebrow quirked as she looked at Chloe with a bemused expression.

"Dude, lots of free time equals some serious video game skills," Chloe said, "Seriously, don't mess."

Max grinned to herself as she revved up her scooter and backed out of the space she had taken. Late enough to avoid any real business, Max looked through the window into the diner and noticed how thankfully empty it was. The last thing she needed was someone inquiring as to why a teenager was driving around at 3am. _Chloe's really stepped up these past few days. Can't help but feel kinda pissed that she didn't act this way a_ lot _sooner, but at least she's finally on board with everything._

"Almost everything, anyway," Max said, having elected to not mention Antony's appearance shortly before the incident with Victoria and Nathan.

Nathan had been quiet for the most part, Max having asked Dana and Juliet multiple times over the past two days to the point that they were becoming curious. Max had ceased her inquiries after that, making occasional chit-chat to redirect the girls' attention away from her line of questioning rather than just stop talking. _Don't draw attention, don't draw attention. Just play it cool, Max, if you can actually_ be _cool._ Victoria hadn't been an issue, though she had stressed to nearly everyone in the Vortex Club, Juliet included, how she'd had "a really fucked-up dream" that was nagging at her. Max's ability to manipulate Victoria had also nagged at Chloe when they had returned to the apartment.

"…Have you ever used that on me?" Chloe asked, her tone hesitant.

"Yes," Max had answered bluntly, "But not for anything bad. Remember when I said I came here a few years ago?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I came to see you. To apologize for not keeping in touch with you. I didn't think I would be able to return so I said goodbye and made you think it was a dream," Max said, looking over to see Chloe's dropping jaw, "Don't look at me like that. How would you have reacted if I showed up for a few minutes only to disappear again, possibly never to return?"

"…Touché, I guess," Chloe said, smoking a cigarette, "Still kinda fucked up, Max."

"At this point, what _isn't_ fucked up about this? About us? You kind-of need to step up, Chloe, and realize that some of this probably won't end well…for either of us."

Chloe had elected to go to sleep shortly after, leaving Max to her thoughts as she went out to look for signs of Rachel. Max didn't seem to mind. They both had a lot on their minds, and neither was really in an affectionate mood. _She's on board with all this, and I need her to_ stay _that way. You watch my back, Chlo, and I'll watch yours._ Max had wanted to probe at Chloe, to see if she was being truthful this time about standing by her, but Max decided to not push the subject. _She can't be off in her own little world, anymore, and I can't afford to wait for her to catch up to me if she pulls back again. I've been forgiving because I need her so damn much. Ugh, we're desperate for each other to the point of mutual self-destruction._

Max returned to her senses and pulled out of the parking lot at Two Whales, zipping down the empty street while glancing around to see if there was anything suspicious. Taking a left, Max pulled out of the business area and headed for the suburban part of town, wanting to ensure that nothing was going on at Joyce's before heading to the hospital. Stopping half a block away from the Price household, Max carefully walked to the old house and climbed up the side, slipping into Chloe's old room and sitting on the bare mattress for a few minutes to figuratively catch her breath. She had done this the night before as well, taking a few minutes to not only go over what she had to do during the day but also to reminisce about better days. _Days when I woke up in the morning and it was normal. Days of laughter and light, not this shit where I'm wandering the streets at the butt-crack of dawn. You'd think I would be getting used to this after three years, but I miss actually wanting things like pancakes and days at the beach._ Rolling off the bed, Max gingerly tip-toed to the open window and climbed back onto the roof before Joyce could hear anything.

The hospital was usually quiet around this time, the night staff dealing with the odd job of a drunk person stumbling, something along those lines. Max slid around to the fence that kept the front of the medical facility accessible while discouraging entry around the partitioned-off sides. Hopping the fence in a single jump, Max landed on all fours and crouched as she stealthily made her way along the side of the building. Kate's room was on the first floor, so it was more convenient for Max to sneak in this way. _Thank Dog she's not on the second or third floor. 'Max, how'd you get up here?' Well, I_ am _a ninja…_

Max had snuck in the way she was using now last night, too. Kate hadn't been awake, so Max had just peered at her through the window, checking up on her sleeping friend. While the scars looked like they were healing better, the bags under Kate's eyes gave the impression that something was wrong with her recovery and Max was becoming increasingly concerned. _What if it's the blood she ingested? What if it's_ my _blood?_ Max saw a very dim glow coming from the window that led into Kate's room and slowed her pace down until she was at the edge of the glass. Peering in, Max felt a small amount of surprise at the sight of an awake Kate at three-something in the morning. So as to not alarm Kate too much, Max reached a hand out and tapped at the glass a couple of times with a finger, withdrawing the hand quickly. Hearing nothing, Max frowned and peeked through the window again to nearly jump at the sight of Kate standing on the other side of the glass. Max instinctively put a hand to her chest before snickering. _At least I don't have to worry about heart attacks. Wow, Kate,_ you _are ninja._ Seeing Kate put a hand to her mouth, Max mouthed _Really?_ at her friend before Kate opened the window just enough for Max to slip in.

Max wrapped her sickly friend up in a large hug, feeling the frail form of Kate bundle up in her hold as the two of them both needed the comfort. Letting Kate go, Max saw a sheepish grin on her friend's face as she moved to sit on the edge of her bed. Closing the window, Max leaned up against the glass as she took Kate in with a greater detail. _She seems…I dunno. Shaky? Her lips are all dry and her eyes are darting back and forth like crazy. It looks like she was reading her bible, I hope I'm not interrupting._

"Hi, Kate," Max said awkwardly as she looked away, realizing she had been staring.

"Hey, Max. What are you doing here? It's almost four in the morning," Kate said, stifling a small yawn.

"What are _you_ doing up? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Max questioned back, diverting the conversation, "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything. Were you reading?"

"I was about an hour or so ago. I've been sleeping in small bits, the doctors coming by every now and then to check up on me. Since my wounds are healed they moved me out of the ICU, but because I'm still sick they're keeping me until I've made 'significant progress'. Like I can force myself to feel better. I just…I'm just so _thirsty_. All the time. The nurses bring me water, bring me juice. Dana even snuck me a soda, but it's like I can't drink enough. I think something is wrong with me," Kate said, her shoulders slumping with worry.

"Hey," Max said, masking her own fears, "You're not well. You're allowed to have something wrong with you. Doesn't make _you_ wrong, though. You'll get better, Kate, I know you will. Aside from all this, how are you? Anybody else besides me and Dana come to see you?"

"Chloe came by yesterday afternoon. She said you were busy with something, but she wanted to see how I was doing. Um, Alyssa and Brooke from the photography class came to see how I was doing a couple days ago. Mr. Jefferson called to see when I would be coming back."

"You're going back to Blackwell?" Max asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah. It's my school, Max. Why wouldn't I go back? I mean, I heard you quit over some ridiculous rumor, but I kind-of need to finish the year so I can go to college."

 _Ouch, Kate. Is that a rib? My GED isn't exactly by choice, y'know._ "I still can't believe Prescott and Victoria, telling people I was selling drugs just to run me off campus…"

"I can. They're so mean to everybody that draws the wrong kind of attention from them, Max. Never mind that Nathan Prescott acts like he's mentally unstable; they're just…just _mean_ ," Kate said, her head lowering as memories of the video taken of her popped into both of their heads. Max hadn't watched it, but she had heard enough from the students at Blackwell that she could figure what it showed.

Max moved over to the bed and sat next to Kate, placing a cool hand on Kate's shoulder. Max grinned at Kate, who grinned back, and she leaned her head onto Max's shoulder as she took in a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"I'm glad you came, Max," Kate said, her eyes closed.

"So am I," Max said, letting out a sigh herself, "Definitely need some quality Kate time."

"Oh?" Kate said, sitting back up to look at Max with a curious expression.

"It's been…it's been hard, lately. With the Blackwell-Prescott-Victoria stuff, never mind the craziness of me and Chloe. Don't worry about it, though. You need to rest," Max said, patting Kate on the hand as she moved to stand up only to feel Kate's gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Max. You can talk to me, too. If you need someone to vent to, the least I can do is listen. We _are_ friends, right?"

"Of course we are."

"So talk."

"Ugh," Max said, scratching at the back of her head as she leaned up against the window again, peeking across the room to make sure that no one was looking inside the room. _Last thing I need is someone spotting me in here_. _I'm ninja, but I'm also pretty bad at just focusing on a single thing and not paying attention._ "Chloe and me…well, we've kinda been back and forth for a while, almost since we've been together. As a couple, I mean."

"Uh-huh. I kinda got that, Max," Kate said, smirking, "You two are pretty blatantly obvious."

"Yeah, I guess we are. We just don't talk about it when we're around other people. That's not the issue, though. I've been going through some, well, some pretty heavy stuff. Like, _major_ damage. I've had Chloe's back ever since I came back, I mean I feel like I _have_ to since I took off on her years ago. Also, there is my whole 'I'm in love with her' thing. I want to make her happy, but I feel like she's not carrying her share of the weight most of the time. Like, if we're going through a rough spot she ignores it and only takes in the good times between us. I'm left holding the bag, y'know?" Max looked out the window, seeing as the stars winked out across the clear night sky. "She says she has my back _now_ , and that's great, but I'm…well, I'm hurting. I've forgiven her for so much, and I _do_ forgive her, but forgetting is another matter."

"Have you considered that maybe you two aren't right for each other? I mean it's obvious that you both care about each other more than you do about anything else, but it sounds like there is some toxicity in your relationship. You should tell her these things, Max, make her understand your side of things. _Really_ make her understand," Kate said as she stood up to give the crestfallen Max a hug, "I think you need some selflessness from your partner, Max. You should talk to her, not just about where you are but where you've been and where you'd like things to go."

"I am _so_ glad I came to see you," Max said, a few happy tears falling from her cheek as she sniffled in Kate's soft embrace, "Best. Advice. Ever."

"It's why I'm here," Kate said, giggling a bit as she slid back into bed, "Now, if it's all the same to you I think I'm going to _try_ and sleep. Be sure to see yourself out." Kate gestured at the window with a small snicker and Max covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Walking up to the hospital bed, Max gave Kate a kiss on the forehead and caressed her friend's cheek for a moment before mouthing _Bye_ and sneaking back out the window.

Max sat on her Vespa in the hospital parking lot, thinking about what Kate had said. _She's right. Every time I've had to figuratively sit Chloe down and tell her how things were for me it was because she wasn't treating me or what was going on seriously. We're good for a bit, but then everything unravels. I_ don't _want to break up, but I also don't want things to keep bouncing back and forth._ Max felt like coffee as she started up her scooter and decided to go back to Two Whales. _Maybe Joyce will be there. I could use more friendly faces._ Max pulled out of the parking lot and sped down the highway that led back into Arcadia Bay, her confidence growing.

"Well, look who drops in at five in the morning. You're up awfully early, Max," Joyce said as Max walked in. Deciding that she wanted to talk to Joyce rather than sit over in the corner by herself, Max smiled at Joyce and took a seat at the counter as opposed to her usual booth. Taking the menu from the condiment holder next to where she was sitting, Max flipped through the menu absentmindedly as Joyce brought her a cup of coffee. The diner was empty, and Max was glad that she had Joyce to herself at the moment.

"Let me guess – Chloe," Joyce said, shaking her head as she looked back at Max with a sad grin, "You two are like magnets, connecting and bouncing back only to come back together again. I swear, darlin', you're likely drivin' each other nuts."

"Kinda already there, Joyce," Max admitted with a faint chuckle as she sipped at her coffee, "Does she _ever_ take anything seriously."

"Oh, yes. What she wants, she takes _that_ very seriously. I know that she's wanted you back since you left years ago, and she's probably willing to do almost anything to keep ahold of you. Unfortunately, she also only wants the good things in life, unwilling to take the bad because she feels the world is out against her."

"Typical Chloe, righ?" Max smirked as Joyce nodded in reply.

"Yep, _typical_ Chloe. But, really, how are you? You look tired, sweetie."

"Long couple of days, that's all. Work-related, no big." _Big, big, epically freaking big. Like an albatross or something_ really _big!_ "That, and I've just had a lot on my mind."

"You want somethin' to eat?" Joyce asked, eyeing the menu still in Max's free hand, the other hand running a finger around the rim of her coffee cup.

"I'm not really hungry, but I might take something to go. Wake Chloe's ass up with some food and force her into a real discussion. Besides, who can argue with the best food in Arcadia Bay?"

"Nice save, Max. I'll whip something up for you," Joyce said, turning back to the small opening that separated the front of the diner from the kitchen in back. Max and Joyce made small talk while the food was being prepared, Joyce asking if Max would like to come over for dinner that night. Max had not wanted to impose, but Joyce insisted, talking about how she hadn't seen much of either her or Chloe. After some gentle badgering, Max had finally relented and agreed to bring herself and Chloe over to Joyce's that evening. Joyce nodded and turned when the cook in back smacked his hand on the bell to signal that the food was ready for pick-up. Sliding a bacon omelet and some hash browns into a takeout container, Joyce handed over the steaming breakfast while Max slipped her the money for that and the coffee before waving at Joyce as she went out the door with a meal in hand.

Max pulled into the small alleyway of her apartment building and leaned the scooter on its kickstand, tucking the helmet under one arm as she opened the storage compartment and withdrew the breakfast with her free hand. Walking up the steps, Max balanced on one foot as she kicked lightly at the door to try and get a likely-sleeping Chloe's attention.

"Chloe! Chlooooeeee! Wake the fuck up! I come bearing food stuffs!" Max shouted as she lowered her foot and started smacking the door with an elbow. Hearing an overly loud groan from inside, Max laughed as she heard heavy footsteps approach the other side of the door.

"Fuck, Max, it's like five-something in the morning. What the…?" Chloe started before the smell of eggs, bacon, and cheese wafted into her nostrils, "Dude. You brought me _breakfast_? I take back every bad thing I've ever said about you, Max Caulfield. You are my fucking savior."

Rolling her helmet between Chloe's legs to where it landed with a thud next to their small pile of boots and shoes, Max playfully slapped at Chloe's hand, eliciting a pout from her girlfriend as Max grinned.

"Assume the position," Max said, tapping Chloe on the nose as she walked past her into the apartment.

"Uh, what?" Chloe replied, confused and half-asleep.

"Go back to bed," Max said, setting the takeout container on the kitchen counter as she opened the fridge to get her sports bottle and a carton of orange juice. Having tossed her jacket towards the couch, Max poured a glass of juice as she took a few gulps from her own beverage.

"…You're bringing me breakfast-in-bed," Chloe said flatly, looking at Max with widening eyes.

"Uh-huh," Max said, wiping at her mouth as she replaced the bottle back into the fridge.

"You're fucking bringing me breakfast-in-bed."

"Yes, Che, now go _back_ to bed so I can do this properly."

Max laughed a bit as Chloe sprinted from the kitchen counter all the way to the bedroom, jumping into the bed with a delighted giggle.

"Wait. Is this a trap?" Chloe suddenly asked as Max walked up to the bed with food and juice in hand, "Is this my last meal?"

"Not quite, Che. We do need to _really_ talk, though," Max said, her tone growing serious as she smiled and handed the food off to Chloe. Chloe looked at the still-steaming omelet and back up at Max, then down at the food and back up at Max a second time.

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Max winced a small bit inside at the worry in Chloe's voice.

"Only if you choose to be."

Max sat down next to an anxious Chloe and put an arm across her shoulders, squeezing her a small bit as she brushed some of Chloe's blue hair behind her ears to clear her face off a bit. Taking in air, Max let out a reluctant sigh as she looked back at Chloe, who was now looking at Max with a pained expression.

"Are you breaking up with me?" Chloe asked, her lip quivering slightly. _Dammit, Chloe. Don't do that, I'll turn to freaking mush! Steel yourself, Max, and just_ talk _to her._

"Chloe. I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"But you haven't been fair to me. There've been times where you've treated me pretty crappy when I needed you to be there for me, like when I came back after being locked away off the coast. I was imprisoned underwater _for a month_ , and I needed you to be on my side."

"…I know. It's just-"

"Please," Max put a hand on Chloe's thigh as she closed her eyes, feeling torn as she wanted to talk but _didn't_ want to hurt Chloe, "I was _hurting_ , Chloe, but you looked out for yourself, instead. You mean the world to me, the thought of you was what woke me up from where I was being held, and you left me behind the morning after I came back. _Why_?"

"I told you. You leave, come back, and then disappear. It was too much for me at the time."

"No, Che. You gave me a _reason_. You didn't tell me why. Not really."

"I…," Chloe stammered, lowering her head to avoid Max's calm gaze, "I'm scared, Max."

"Scared of me? You've seen how bad I can get, how angry, and you thought it was 'amazeballs'."

"No, not that. I…when you went away after my dad died, I shut everyone away. I kept people at a distance, not wanting to get too close. I even pushed my own mom away. I still do. When you came swooping back in, one of the first things you did was save my life. One of the next things was tell me that you love me, like _love_ love. I put on a strong front. I'm sure you know that," Chloe said, picking at the omelet with a fork as she took a small bite and chewed thoughtfully, "but you can _see through it_ , Max."

"Sometimes I can't, though, and it feels like you keep me at arm's length when I don't deserve that. It's like you only want the happy and the fun with me, but you really do have to take the bad with the good, Che. I'm already shouldering _so_ _much_ , Chlo. I want to be here for you, but I need you to be here for me just as badly," Max said, squeezing Chloe's thigh affectionately as she gave the blue-haired girl a comforting smile.

Chloe began to cry as she put her head into her hands, leaning herself against Max who, in turn, lightly picked up the breakfast and set it aside.

"I've been alone for so long, Max. I've fooled around, sure," Chloe said between choking sobs, "and Rachel was there for me some, but I haven't felt like this for anyone but you, felt so goddamn much. And what does Chloe do? She fucks it up!"

"You haven't fucked up, Chloe. You're just…well, actually, you have kinda fucked up," Max said, her feelings conflicted, "But I'm right here, and I will face the bad with you so long as you accept and face it with me, too. Seriously, though, you can't do this to me anymore. I love you, crazy love, but I can't be with you if this is all there is."

Max felt pained as her words only made Chloe cry more, but these weren't the tears of just a girl who had been caught in a fuck-up; these were the tears of her best friend from five years ago, dragging herself through all the self-isolation, all the damage, that she had inflicted on herself and others along the way to where she was now. Max felt Chloe sag into her and began to run her fingers through the blue hair gently as Chloe kept crying. Max watched as Chloe looked up at her with red, puffy eyes and saw the eyes of a broken fourteen year-old girl in that tear-stained face.

"Please. Please don't go," Chloe said in a meek, heartbreaking voice, echoing the last words she had said to Max before they had been separated years before, "I love you, Max."

If Max's heart were still beating, she felt it would break apart at that moment. _This_ was Chloe, the real Chloe. Not the punk, not the smart-ass, not the ambivalent, devil-may-care girl that she had been reunited with. _This_ was how she really was, broken and needing someone to love her so that she could feel whole again. Max kissed her on the cheek, dabbing at the tear streaks with her lips, and squeezed Chloe a little tighter.

"I'm won't, but you can't do this to me anymore, Chloe. This is the last time, okay?" Max said, trying to sound stern as Chloe's heart-wrenching plea echoed in her mind over and over.

Chloe didn't respond with words, but rather with action. Shifting herself over so that she was facing Max, Chloe wrapped her arms around Max and just held onto her. Max moved to give Chloe a proper hug, but Chloe's arms tightened and Max felt herself unable to shift around. Electing to lay down instead, Max felt Chloe fall next to her on the bed while still clutching on her. _You haven't let anyone in since me, have you? You spent all the years I was gone hiding behind mask after mask, and you tried to pull that on me but could only do so halfway._

"You don't have to pretend around me, Che," Max said, slipping her arm under Chloe so that she could press her girlfriend closer to her, "You _never_ have to pretend around me. Got that?"

"U-Uh-huh," Chloe stuttered, her sniffling starting to subside as she clutched at Max even tighter, "B-But…can I still be a smart-ass?"

"You wouldn't be _you_ if there wasn't sass," Max said with a giggle, smiling a bit as she heard Chloe cough from breaking into a dry chuckle while her throat was raw, "Max…can you pass me the breakfast you got me? I don't want it to get cold, and you brought it for me."

Max gently pried herself loose from Chloe's grip and sat up to grab the takeout from Two Whales. Signaling for Chloe to sit up, Max cut a piece of omelet out and gingerly forked it up. Max grinned as she held the fork in front of Chloe's face, making an "Ahhhh" sound as her girlfriend shyly opened her mouth in response. Wanting nothing more than this moment of emotional absolution between them to last forever, Max slowly fed Chloe her breakfast like two lovers and not just two girls crushing on each other, Chloe's eyes beaming at the woman sitting alongside her as she was fed morsels.

Being done with breakfast, Chloe laid her head in Max's lap as Max slowly ran her fingers through Chloe's hair, playing with strands of it as she twirled it around in her fingers. Max loved Chloe's hair, the color of it and how soft it felt in her hands. Interrupted by a sudden chirping noise, Max heard Chloe let out a small sigh as she began to sit up so that Max could get to her phone. Taking only a moment to decide, Max gently pushed Chloe's head back down with one hand as she reached into her pocket with the other. Switching the phone to silent mode, Max tossed it into a pile of dirty clothes under her clothing rack.

"Really?" Chloe asked, watching the phone hit the shirts and jeans with a small cushioned noise.

"The world can wait one day," Max said, feeling a greater sense of self-confidence, "Right now, I just want you. Okay?"

Chloe nestled her head further into Max's lap, smiling contentedly. "Okay."

The apartment was their sanctum that day, more so than usual. Neither even left the bed until around noon, Max having fallen asleep while still sitting up and Chloe having refused to move from Max's lap. Waking up hungry and groggy, Max had made to get up only for Chloe to lay her down and come back from the kitchen with Max's sports bottle. Tilting the bottle slowly against Max's mouth, Chloe returned Max's earlier mushiness and slowly fed her girlfriend until Max put one of her hands to the hand Chloe was using to keep the bottle steady as a signal that she was done. Capping the bottle and setting it next to the bed, Chloe curled up next to Max and watched the young vampire with what looked to Max like a new awareness of things as they lay next to each other.

"I didn't think that I would ever feel this way again, Max. So open. It's kinda scary," Chloe said, her voice incredibly soft.

"Does it frighten you?" Max asked, pulling Chloe in a little more.

"Kinda. Mostly, it just feels really good to finally be able to trust. To not have to hide away. Thanks for the push."

"And what happens when things get rough…?" Max worried, having heard something similar from Chloe before.

"I'll still be here. Swear," Chloe said, nuzzling her head in the crook of Max's neck.

Max smiled as she leaned her head to the side and kissed Chloe's hair, then chuckled a bit.

"What?" Chloe pondered.

"Your hair. The dye is starting to fade. I can see your blonde coming back through," Max said, looking at the small patches of blonde hair coming out from Chloe's roots.

"Shit," Chloe said, and Max stifled a giggle, Chloe's first swear word since their talk early this morning.

"Do you have some dye?" Max asked.

"Ugh, yeah. It's in the medicine cabinet," Chloe said, sitting up and scratching at her head.

"Really? I've never seen it."

"Because you only ever need toothpaste, Maximillian. When would you need aspirin or freaking oxy pads?" Chloe said with a snicker, "Vampires don't get acne, do they?"

"If they do, then I guess I'm a special case," Max said, joining Chloe at the edge of the bed, "How about we grab the dye and I'll re-color your hair in the kitchen? Sound good?"

"But I don't wanna leave the bed," Chloe said with an exaggerated slumping of her shoulders.

"Chloe…," Max said, trying to sound stern as she playfully wagged a finger.

"Don't wannnnaaaa," Chloe said, turning as she dropped back onto the bed, putting a pillow over her head, "Don't. Wan-na."

"My slender fingers running through your hair, massaging your scalp, washing your hair out and pampering you like crazy as you just sit and relax…" Max teased as she whispered at Chloe's pillow-covered head. Max grinned as Chloe lifted the pillow up a crack, a single blue eye looking across the bed at Max.

"…'kay," Max heard Chloe quietly reply, setting the pillow where her head had been as she slowly sat up, "What time is it?"

"Around lunchtime, I think," Max said, "Why? You want something to eat?"

"Nah. Just curious. You hungry?" Chloe asked, laughing when Max's stomach responded with a growl, "Glad I left your bottle by the bed."

Max caught the lightly tossed container as Chloe half-handed it to her before heading into the bathroom. Max sighed as she unfastened the cap and finished off the entire bottle. _I'll have to go hunting tonight. I've skipped out the past two nights to search for signs of Rachel Amber, but at the rate I'm feeding I am_ definitely _going to run out hella soon._ Licking her lips clean as she set the empty bottle on her bedside table, Max glanced over where her phone lay in the pile of clothes and plucked it out. Flipping through missed texts, Max sighed in relief at nothing that needed major attention. _That's nice, not having to come to someone's rescue for a fucking change. Wowsers, I can't remember the last time there wasn't some dire crap in need of doing. Well, I need to hunt but I wouldn't call that dire. Meh._

"Anything bad?" Chloe said as she came out, pausing from flossing her teeth to speak.

"No, which is a nice change of pace," Max replied with a peaceful expression, "A day to ourselves. Well, except for tonight. I forgot to tell you – your mom is expecting us for dinner."

"Huh. Okay," Chloe said as she went back into the bathroom with used floss dangling from a finger. Returning almost as soon as she had gone back in, Chloe tugged at Max's legs, drawing her towards the edge of the bed, and straddled Max's lap. Max looked up at Chloe with a sly curiosity as Chloe just looked down at her and smiled.

"Can you be like this all the time?" Max asked, trying not to smile.

"Like what?" Chloe asked, feigning ignorance.

"All lovey-dovey and, well, kinda heartbreakingly adorable?"

"…Only for you, Max. Only for you," Chloe said, leaning down to kiss Max on the forehead, "Let's go. The kitchen awaits. Oh, chew some gun while you're dying my hair. I love you, but not your blood breath. Ew."

Coming up behind to tickle Chloe, Max chased her girlfriend around the apartment for a bit as she playfully stalked Chloe with fingers inching towards Chloe's sides. Letting Chloe dodge a few times for fun, Max sprinted after a bit and pounced on Chloe as she cried out "Ticklebomb!". Going at it with the tickling, Max didn't relent until Chloe's face was almost entirely red from the gasping between fits of laughter. _This is how it should be between us every day, Che. Just love and caring, no more bullshit. I've missed you so much._

Lifting the still-giggling Chloe up from the couch, Max led the taller girl into the kitchen and patted the stool seat before going into the bathroom for the hair dye and gloves necessary for her hands not coming away like a smurf's. Returning, Max saw Chloe leaning back against the edge of the counter where the sink was, looking lost in thought.

"I haven't done this before, so I'll need you to kinda coach me," Max said as she put on the gloves, looking at Chloe's distant expression, "Hey. What're you thinking about?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah. I'll tell you if you need any help. I'm just…just spacing out. Enjoying the calm, enjoying you. We've spent so much time doing hella crazy shit that I forgot how amazeballs it is to just have time between the two of us. Like, a period of time longer than a few hours or whatever. I missed this, missed us," Chloe said, squeezing one of Max's gloved hands only to pull back her hand in horror, "Fuck, Max! You put some of the dye on the glove already? Argh, I'm gonna have a goofy-ass blue dot _on my hand_! This is gonna take some serious grease and fortitude to wash off, nerd! Fucking brat!

Max laughed as Chloe just stared at the blue dot on the palm of her hand, brow furrowed as she gave Max a pout before sighing and leaning her head over the sink.

"Dude, you suck," Chloe said, "and not just in a 'Blah! I want to dweenk yer blood! Blah' kind-of way."

"Shush, you, or I'll intentionally screw this up," Max warned with a smirk, seeing Chloe's jaw clamp shut in response, "Okay. Now, help me out with this. I rub it all over your face, right?"

"Not even _remotely_ funny."

"A little funny."

"…okay, a little. Seriously, though, my _hand_?"

Paying attention as Chloe provided instructions while Max massaged the dye into Chloe's hair, Max felt Chloe practically turn into a noodle as she ran her fingers through the dye-soaked hair. _Who would've thought that Chloe Price, 'hardened criminal' and pothead, was actually the softest, mushiest person in Arcadia Bay? Look at her face, all sleepy and smiling, no being on-guard or anything. This…this is_ really _nice._ Max played with Chloe's saturated hair, spiking it out and twirling it as she spread her fingers around and through the slick blue hair. Hearing Chloe cough, Max looked down and saw the other girl look up at her with a bemused expression.

"I think you got it," Chloe relayed, a small smile playing across her lips.

"O-Oh, okay…," Max stuttered, looking away in embarrassment as she removed her hands from Chloe's head, letting Chloe stand up.

"It's got to sit for a bit before I can wash the leftover dye out. Wow, Max, that felt hella good. You should do that professionally," Chloe said as she pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and a small bag of chips from one of the cabinets.

"What, rub my hands across someone's head? Uh, yeah, because that doesn't sound creepy at all," Max sniggered.

"Yeah, yeah. Smartass. So, what do you want to do after this is done?" Chloe said, munching on a chip as she pointed at her spiky blue hair.

"Well, if you're done being some 'bizarro Super-Saiyan', we could always…return to bed…?" Max asked, biting her lower lip as she clutched at her arm with her opposite hand.

"Max Caulfield, are you trying to get a booty call from me? Poor, sensitive moi?" Chloe asked, her voice laden with sarcasm.

"If you don't want to, that's fine. I-"

"Max. Come here."

Max slowly walked over to Chloe, the other girl taking Max's hand in both of hers. Looking down at the slender, cool hand, Chloe lifted the hand and placed it across her chest so that Max could feel Chloe's heartbeat reverberate through both of their bodies. _You sound like drums, and your heart shakes like it is full of thunder, Chloe. Are you…are you excited, too_?

"Let this sit, and we'll wash it out of my hair. Okay?" Chloe said, pressing Max's hand against the space between her clothed breasts.

" _We_?" Max asked, gulping.

"The bathtub is big enough for both of us."

Max brought her laptop into the living room and set it on the coffee table. Motioning for Chloe to join her on the couch, Max clicked through her collection of videos and movies before finding something she thought they would both have fun watching. Double-tapping on the touchpad, Max and Chloe watched the screen as the starting sequence for _FLCL_ began to play on the screen.

"Holy shit, you remembered? This is my favorite anime!" Chloe said, wrapping her arms around Max's in excitement, "I haven't seen this in wayyyyy long!"

" _Now_ who's the 'fucking nerd'?" Max asked, raising an eyebrow at the elated look on Chloe's face.

"Dude, shush! This is gonna get good after the sad-ass monologue! Wait," Chloe looked over at Max with a knowing smile, "Is _this_ where you got your idea behind owning a Vespa?"

When Max didn't reply Chloe's face broke out into a Cheshire grin and she gave Max a wet kiss on the cheek.

"Just when I thought I couldn't love you any more, Max Caulfield, you keep on blowing my fucking mind."

"S'why I'm here," Max said, scrunching the bridge of her nose as she returned Chloe's happy smile with her own.

Max and Chloe sat through half of the anime's short number of episodes before remembering that they needed to rinse Chloe's hair out, their attention transfixed on the show they were watching. Pulling Chloe up from the couch, Max kept holding her hand as they walked into the bathroom. Shrugging as she took off her pajama shirt, emblazoned with the word "Rock" with a little chick underneath, Chloe didn't seem fazed by the sticky hair dye clinging to the collar of the shirt as she pulled it off. Tugging at Max's collar, Chloe whispered "Pretty please" into Max's ear before tugging at a sleeve, playfully biting her lip.

Max elected to switch it up, and took off her sleep shorts first instead, a pair of thin grey panties hidden underneath. Leaning forward a bit, Max kissed down the space between Chloe's breasts as the taller girl put her hands behind her back to unhook her bra, letting the straps fall down her shoulders to entice Max further. _Wowsers_ , Max thought as she took Chloe in. No matter how many times she saw Chloe, there were moments where Max felt exhilaration at the sight of her childhood friend, her girlfriend and lover, standing before her with distinct allure. Moving her mouth to one of the straps, Max bit at it and tugged it down so that one breast slipped free of the bra. Teasing, Max pulled back and finished undressing, making Chloe wait as she methodically took off each remaining piece of clothing. Still clad in black boxers and half her bra, Chloe gave Max a pleading expression as Max finished taking off her own bra. Returning her mouth to task, Max grabbed the other strap and began to tug at it with clenched teeth. Wanting to surprise Chloe, Max bit down harder and felt the small piece of fabric tear between her teeth. The bra fell to the bathroom floor and Max followed it down, sliding her hands along Chloe's sides as she stuck her thumbs under the waistband of Chloe's boxers. Deciding they had both waited long enough, Max pulled Chloe's boxers down to her ankles with one quick pull, hearing a soft gasp from Chloe as Max exhaled against the soft mound between Chloe's thighs.

Chloe moaned as Max pushed her against the wall from her waistline and buried her face into Chloe's wetness, Chloe's hands clenching into fists as Max's tongue worked around the edge of Chloe's pussy before sliding into it. Biting her lip, Chloe took one hand and pressed it against the back of Max's head as she felt Max surrender to her will and push her face in a little further. _It sometimes helps when I don't need to breathe_ , Max thought as she slid her tongue all around, taking in Chloe's taste. Sliding her hands up from the back of Chloe's thighs, Max grabbed onto Chloe's ass and lifted her up to where Chloe was on her tip-toes with a surprised gasp of air.

"Oh, Max! Fuckkkkk, Max, fuck!" Chloe gasped between shudders as Max squeezed her ass hard, tongue spinning inside of Chloe's pussy as Max played with Chloe. Chloe whimpered and nearly cried out as Max suddenly stopped and looked up at her with bright violet eyes, her fangs having popped out. Max looked at Chloe with a longing as both girls panted, Chloe out of necessity for air and Max out of wanting. Chloe nodded slightly and Max brought her lips to Chloe's inner thigh, kissing a small patch of skin before slowly piercing the skin with her fangs. Clamping her lips around the small wounds, Max took in a small taste of Chloe's blood as she slid two fingers inside of Chloe's pussy and swirled them around. Pulling her fangs out, Max kept her lips on the wound and licked at the small holes she had made, lapping up what little blood was coming out. _I didn't go in as deep as last time, so she might not need a bandage. Oh, you taste fucking_ incredible _, Chloe. It's like I just swallowed fire, Jesus_ fuck _._

Slowly lifting her lips away, Max licked at a faint trickle of blood one more time before returning her attention to the increasingly hot wetness between her girlfriend's legs. Max felt the blood kick in and her chest became molten as she lifted Chloe onto her shoulders while kneeling on the bathroom floor. Feeling Chloe's legs wrap around her shoulders, Max greedily sucked at Chloe's flesh as she felt Chloe's entire body shudder. Not wanting to extend this violent moment of euphoria, Max lightly bit at Chloe's clitoris and felt Chloe buckle from her perch on Max's shoulders, a loud scream of intense pleasure escaping her sweating face. Feeling Chloe twitch, Max pulled her face back and retracted her fangs, then gently sat Chloe down on the bathroom floor. Max broke into a gleeful laugh as she saw the small streak of blue dye on the wall run from where Chloe's head had been to where it was situated now. Seeing Max laugh, Chloe looked at her with a baffled expression until she followed where Max was looking before breaking into a fit of laughter herself.

The two of them sat naked on the bathroom floor for a while, just laughing and intertwining their fingers, before Max leaned over and kissed Chloe on the lips, the taste of Chloe still on her tongue. Max felt like her skin was burning as she felt Chloe's tongue force its way into her mouth, and the two made a game of whose tongue would dominate the other. Unwilling to let Chloe have another moment of supremacy, Max cupped both sides of the other girl's face and pressed her lips down with force as she laid her tongue down over Chloe's while massaging it.

"Mmm khay, ub 'in," Chloe said between gasps of air, Max's tongue still partially in her mouth, "Eye thurrndr."

Quickly pulling away, Max looked at Chloe with a prideful expression before planting a kiss on Chloe's nose.

"You bet your ass you do. I'm unstoppable, Chloe Price. And you're _mine_ ," Max said, reaching over to lightly run her fingers over Chloe's side, eliciting a welcome giggle in response from the tickling.

"Max…Max, that was…Fuck. Just… _fuck_ ," Chloe said with a smile as she caught her breath, "Wow. So, uh, is it my turn?"

"Mmm, maybe later. I just felt like having you," Max said with a hungry grin as she lifted herself up, "How about that shower?"

Pulling Chloe to her feet, Max ran the water until it was nice and hot, splashing Chloe on occasion before switching the water flow over to the shower head. Motioning for Chloe to enter with a "Dye jobs first", Max slipped in behind Chloe and shut the curtains as she immediately began to run her fingers through Chloe's hair. Stepping on her tip-toes despite the slick surface of the bathtub, Max grabbed small clumps of hair and gently squeezed, watching blue water trickle down Chloe's neck, back, and her own arms. Scrubbing Chloe's head as she rinsed the extra dye out, Max asked for the shampoo and proceeded to wash Chloe's hair, vigorously scrubbing at Chloe's scalp until she patted the top of the taller girl's head as a signal for her to rinse.

Max's hand reached for the body wash but found herself grasping empty air as Chloe swiped it from her grasping fingers as she watched Max from the corner of her eye. Turning around so that she was facing Max, Chloe squirted a small puddle of the floral-smelling bath soap into her hands and lathered them up. Max writhed slightly from the pleasure of it as Chloe began to soap up her body, starting with her shoulders and working her hands down Max's arms. Leaning forward, Chloe kissed Max tenderly as she moved her soapy hands to Max's midsection and rubbed at the vampire's belly before moving them up and onto Max's chest. Cupping Max's breasts for a moment, Chloe teasingly flicked Max's stiff nipples with her thumb before working her hands onto Max's neck. Turning Max around, Chloe slowly moved her hands across and down Max's back, ensuring that it was entirely coated in a small film of soapy froth before bending down to slide her hands across each leg. Chloe felt the small patter of water as the shower she had been blocking with her own back began to pelt Max's, sending small trails of soapy water down Max's back and onto her legs. Max turned around as Chloe stood up and the two of them just gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before Chloe leisurely stepped out of the shower to let Max finish rinsing off. Max stayed in the shower for a few extra minutes, the rush of what she and Chloe had done as well as Chloe's blood being in her system making her feel electric and blissful. _Sigh_.

Shutting the water off, Max opened the curtain to find Chloe wrapped in a towel, holding another one out for Max. Gently nibbling at Max's neck and collarbone as she wrapped Max up, Chloe leaned her forehead into Max's and smiled contentedly at her girlfriend as she took Max's hands into her own.

"Fucking marry me, Max," Chloe said, the smile still on her face but a serious tone in her voice.

"…You're serious," Max said, a statement rather than a question, "Ohmygod. Chloe, oh my _god_."

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Max," Chloe said, the words coming out slowly as Chloe steeled herself, "I'm not fucking around anymore, and _this_ isn't me fucking around either. I can't lose you, and I can't imagine my life without you. I've been wrecked since you left, and I feel whole now that you knocked my walls down. I can't promise that I won't still act kinda like an asshole, but when it is just us I am so _totally_ fucking yours that you will never not know that."

"You're actually proposing," Max said, thankful once again that she didn't need to breathe because _HYPERVENTILATING JESUS CHRIST SHE'S PROPSING TO ME AND OHMYGOD HOLY FUCK-SHIT._

"…Yes," Max said, her voice damn-near a whisper as she began to cry, her voice betraying the shock from what just happened.

"Yes?" Chloe asked, tilting her head down as Max lowered hers, "Max, why are you hiding? Hey, look at me. I'm serious, Max."

"I-I know you are, Che. I j-just never e-expected something like...like…," Max stammered, her body shaking as she felt her legs give way only to be caught by Chloe

"Vampires faint?" Chloe asked, her tone of surprise matching Max's own.

"Fuck if I know. I can tell you that if they do, it's from bombs being dropped on them like the one you dropped on me just now," Max said shakily as she leaned against Chloe, letting Chloe wrap her arms around her.

"But you said 'yes', right? Like… _yes_ yes?" Chloe asked, her tone starting to sound worried.

"Yes, I said it," Max reassured Chloe, still in a daze.

"Say it again."

"Yes, Chlo. Chloe Elizabeth Price, if you're not actually fucking with me, I will totally hella marry your amazeballs bat-shit crazy ass."

Max heard air get caught in Chloe's throat as she choked up, and Max couldn't help but laugh as she had never felt so right in her entire life, with Chloe tightening her embrace of Max in response to the mirth from the small vampire.

Max held onto Chloe's hand as they drove through the suburbs towards Joyce's house, the newborn night sky still glowing with the echoes of the fallen Sun. Max's face actually felt tired from the bouts of smiling and giggling since Chloe had, well, said what she had said. _I still can't figure out if she meant it, holy balls. Wowsers, did she mean it?! Am I a fiancé now? Is this real? Wowsers, wowsers, holy-wowsery-fuck!_ As though she were picking up on Max's thoughts, Max watched Chloe glance over at her and wink with a smug grin.

"S'up?" Chloe asked coyly.

"That's it? 'S'up'? Are you fucking serious right now?" Max asked, flabbergasted at Chloe's relaxed state. _Did she slip back into her old attitude? Was the whole fucking day a misdirection? Whoa – am I being_ played _?_

"Max," Chloe said as she lifted up Max's pale hand and gave it a quick kiss, "I know you, how you think. Your mind is probably hella working like mad in that skull of yours, yeah?"

"Understatement of the _ever_ ," Max said, looking down at her feet in a dazed state.

"Just so you know, I am serious, Max. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, no bullshit, and you said 'yes'."

"I know, Che. It's just… _wowsers_ …"

"Wow, I don't think I've heard that one in a while. Looks like I'm not the only one hiding shit from way back," Chloe said with a chuckle, "Seriously, though. Don't tell Joyce. She'll just harp about how soon it is and how I'm being fucking reckless asking you like I did."

"I think you underestimate your mom," Max said, looking at Chloe with a smirk, "I think she'd be happy."

"Yeah, but she'd also be mad concerned. 'Have you thought about your future? What about work, what about a place that isn't an apartment?' _That_ …that can come later. Right now, I just want to soak today in, okay? It's been…it's been amazing, Max, and I want to keep this day between us," Chloe said as she pulled into the driveway of her mom's house.

"Cross my heart, though I am kinda already dead," Max said with a smile, shrugging innocently.

"Dude, I will fucking murder you if you say even a peep."

"Peep," Max said, getting a wide-eyed look from Chloe of frustration and amusement.

"Alright, smart-ass, let's go."

The house smelled amazing as Chloe and Max walked in, Chloe holding the door open for Max. Discarding their jackets, Max noted with a small amount of shock that Chloe had even left her beanie in her jacket pocket. Dressed in their usual type of attire, Max and Chloe walked hand-in-hand to the kitchen, seeing Joyce wafting her hand over something in a baking dish. Sniffing the air appreciatively, Max recognized the scent from her childhood and looked over at Chloe to mouth _Lasagna_. Max smirked as Chloe made a face like she was going to start drooling before Joyce turned around and smiled at them, taking both of them into her arms with a hug.

"Oh, it is so nice to see my girls here for once, and not at work! Chloe, have you been behaving? You look like you're up to no good, with a smile lIke that," Joyce asked, noting that Chloe couldn't seem to stop smiling as she lightly squeezed Max's small hand.

"Whatever do you mean, Mom?" Chloe asked, pulling away from Joyce and wrapping Max in her arms in front of her as though Max were a shield from Joyce, "Can I not simply be happy to see my dear mother with my girlfriend?" _Fiancé, Chloe. Jesus, I still can't wrap my head around that. Just…wowsers…_

"You can be happy as you want, kiddo, and I will just stand here and admire the fact that you're not being as much of a smart-ass as usual. Max, what did you do to Chloe?"

"Uh, well…" Max stammered before Chloe interrupted. _Thanks for the save, Che. The fact that you_ legit proposed to me _is kinda stuck on my tongue._

"I am not the Chloe you think you know. I have been replaced with a Chloe Price from an alternate universe, one where all I can consume is your delish lasagna. Can we sit down already and feast?" Chloe asked, the slightest bit of frustration edging into her voice.

"Fine, Chloe. Fine. Don't tell me, but Max has something of whatever is going on practically written on her face so I'll just get it out of her," Joyce chided, winking at Max who looked away awkwardly.

"Max, you are hella not leaving my side tonight. Dr. Chloe's orders."

Trailing along behind Chloe, their hands still joined together, Max followed the Price women to the dining table where a bottle of wine and two sodas sat next to three plates and sets of silverware. Sitting next to Chloe, Max wished her mouth still watered at the sight of food as she gazed hungrily at the piece of lasagna Chloe forked onto Max's plate before getting a piece for herself. _You feed me before yourself, when you know I don't even_ need _to eat people food? Wow, serious game there, Price._

"So, Max, what have you been up to the past couple days? I hardly saw you until this morning. Finding life outside of working at Blackwell more, well, relaxing?" Joyce asked as she scooped out her own piece of lasagna.

"Oh, yeah. The distinct lack of Blackwell-flavored drama is much appreciated. I still can't believe that someone spread a rumor about me being a drug dealer just to get kicked off campus," Max said before biting down on a mouthful of lasagna.

"I can," Chloe interjected, "Black-Hell is full of a bunch of tools and ass-hats that like nothing more than making people miserable."

"Chloe, can you watch the language? At least while we're eating?" Joyce asked as she set her forkful of lasagna back on her plate.

"Having trouble not picturing a hat made of ass, mother dearest?" Chloe asked with a smirk, elbowing Max gently in the side as Max tried to avoid the banter by eating another mouthful of lasagna. "Aww, Max is being shy. Good luck playing possum at the Price dinner table, Maxaroni. You've got the cheap seats so you're S-O-L."

Rolling her eyes as she swallowed, Max pointedly looked at Chloe as she stole a forkful of lasagna from Chloe's plate and hungrily stuffed it into her mouth with a smile.

"Agh! Thief, Caulfield! It stole our precious! Thief!" Chloe cried out in mock outrage, Max nearly choking as she laughed at Chloe's impression of Gollum from _The Lord of The Rings_.

Getting a chiding from Joyce, Chloe eventually backed down and the three of them ate in relative peace, the occasional grumble from Chloe about how she was a forkful of lasagna short disappearing when Max gave Chloe her last forkful of lasagna as a peace offering. Making Max feed her the piece, Joyce chuckled at the open display of sweetness between the two girls.

"Are you _sure_ that's my Chloe you're lovin' on, Max?" Joyce asked as Max helped her clear the table, Chloe having retreated outside for a smoke.

"I'm 99.2% positive, though I suppose she could be a clone. Hmmm, that could explain the Eastern European accent…" Max said as she looked contemplatively out the sliding door that led into the backyard.

"Well, at least your abilities to be a smart-ass are on par with hers. I haven't seen her this happy since you two were playing with one another years ago. Spill it, hun, what are you two up to?" Joyce said with a questioning eye and a smile as she began to wash the dishes.

"Oh, did you hear that?" Max said, putting a hand to her ear, seeing Joyce reply with a confused expression, "I think Chloe is calling for me. Well, I better head outside. Everything with her is an emergency." Max backpedaled out of the kitchen towards the sliding glass door, bumping against it as she awkwardly smiled at a bemused Joyce.

"Weak save, kid, but I'll let it slide this time. I _will_ get whatever is going on out of you, though. Chloe's not the only one who can figure you out," Joyce said, turning her attention to the dishes.

Max sighed as she closed the sliding glass door and leaned up against it, her willpower nearly depleted from Joyce's intense eyes. _I know where Chloe gets it from but…damn_. Max looked out into the dimly lit backyard and saw a familiar figure sitting on the old swing in the corner, a smoldering glow hanging from its mouth. Walking up to the figure, Max leaned up against the old swing set as Chloe slowly kept on swinging, her feet dangling from her overly long legs.

"Hey," Max said, her voice tired.

"Hey, Maxaroni," Chloe said with the cigarette held between her lips, "So. Did my mom squeeze the deets out of ya?"

"I will have you know that I am quite formidable, Chloe Price," Max said in mock offense.

"I've seen you in combat, Max, but I've also seen you before the gaze of my mom. Did you spill?" Chloe asked with a sardonic grin.

" _No I didn't spill_. Though I almost did, I forgot how easily Joyce can drag things out of a person," Max said with a huff as she sat down on the grass beside the swing set, rubbing at her temples.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, the sarcasm and wit replaced with the tenderness and concern from earlier in the day.

"Just tired. I haven't gotten enough sleep lately and I've still got a buzz from feeding off you," Max explained, absently licking her lips.

"Just don't get too hooked on Chloe juice, Max. That bit…that's still a little weird to me," Chloe said, skidding the swing to a halt as she pretended like she was going to fall before softly landing next to Max.

"I won't, though I'm still amazed that you let me," Max said, leaning her head onto Chloe's shoulder, "That whole…that was wonderful. You're beautiful, my Ms. Hipster-Girl 2013."

" _I'm_ a hipster? Whatever. You could be a model for Hot Topic Jr. or something."

"Dork."

"Nerd."

"Spaz."

"Punk."

"Mine."

" _Mine_ ," Max repeated, sliding one of her legs over one of Chloe's, "This day has been, well, I wish it weren't coming to an end."

"It has to?" Chloe asked, though she knew the answer already.

"With everything going on, I'm just glad we could have a day to ourselves. And speaking of today, Jesus fuck! Chloe, I swear, if you are-"

Max got the answer to her question as Chloe gently pulled her into a kiss, Chloe's soft lips warm against Max's cool ones as the night sky loomed overhead, the next day all but ignored as they savored the day they had shared only amongst themselves.

 **Author's Note – So, did this change-up surprise you? I had mentioned it in my Tumblr that I wanted to put a part in one of the future chapters where Max and Chloe get to just chill and Max re-dyes Chloe's hair as they just enjoy being together. I built this entire chapter around the idea of them saying "Fuck it" and taking a day to themselves. Max has been ran ragged, and Chloe needed an emotional wake-up call, so I felt the time had come for the discussions they had.**

 **A brief respite in the face of all the shit they've endured, and the troubles to come, as they** _ **finally**_ **face it together. Like,** _ **really**_ **together.**

 **Read, review, and I'll see you in 14!**

 **Stay hella, my beautiful cinnamon rolls! XD**


	14. Chapter 14

**Better Off Dead, from the song by** _ **Sleeping With Sirens**_

Leaping through the woods at who-knows-when, Max clung tightly to the dying girl in her arms as she damn-near flew through the woods outlying Arcadia Bay, her eyes violet as she crossed the dark of night. The blood coming from the multiple wounds that Max could see flooded her senses and Max had to push herself on a few times, the hunger coming from the sight of so much blood enticing her. _If I just…no, snap out of it! She's dying! She's dying, and you could have done more to prevent this! Goddamnit!_

Brushing past a tree, Max felt something wet hit her head and looked up just as it started to rain, her face getting smacked by the fat drops of water as they cascaded from above. Max broke into a sprint as she headed toward the hospital a short distance ahead, her eyes narrowed into slits to help keep her vision clear as well as to not pay attention to the blood soaking into her clothes. _I'll have to burn these, otherwise I may end up sucking at them. I'm like an honest-to-Dog addict sometimes, I swear. Ugh._ Max could feel the heartbeat of the person cradled in her arms flutter for a moment as she heard a rasping breath catch in the other person's throat.

"Please…"

"Don't speak. Conserve your strength, we're almost there," Max pleaded, not looking down at the strained face looking up at her.

"I'm sorry. I just-"

"I said hush, so fucking hush."

The other voice fell silent as the ragged breathing continued, Max slowing down as she made her way from the woods to the outer fringes of the hospital's parking lot. Taking in a few deep breaths, Max steeled herself as she began to shake from the exertion and the intensity of the blood's scent as it permeated everything around her.

" _Help! Someone help!"_ Max screamed as she ran at a normal pace, seeing a paramedic parked near the front entrance. Hearing her call, the paramedic looked across the lot and began running towards her, signaling her partner to grab a stretcher from the back.

"What happened?! Jesus, did she get mauled or something?" the paramedic asked as she looked at the bloody mess in Max's arms, "How long ago was this?"

"A f-few minutes," Max said, letting the paramedic help the ragged form onto the stretcher as they began to run towards the hospital, "I…I found her like this, in the woods. W-whatever attacked her…it wasn't t-there!"

Letting the paramedics take control, Max followed them inside, ignoring the chirping sound of her phone going off for the umpteenth time. _I don't have time right now! Just hold the fuck on!_ Max thought as she made her way into the waiting room, slumping onto a chair as the ER's night shift swarmed over the stretcher before taking it behind a set of double doors, Max hearing them speak some medical jargon before the doors cut off nearly all the noise coming from them. Max felt ragged herself, watching as a nurse from the front desk came over to her to ask if she wanted something clean to wear.

Dumbly following the nurse as the evening's events played out over and over in her mind, Max stripped in the sterile women's restroom into the plain shirt and scrub pants that she had been given, pulling her cell phone out of her torn and bloody jeans to check the screen. Cracked in multiple places, the phone wouldn't let her unlock the screen, but Max saw notification after notification pop up in fractured blurbs as she was bombarded with messages. Pocketing the phone in the scrub pants, Max looked at her face in the mirror. Scratched from the trees, with a nasty cut just behind her ear, Max's face was caked with blood and dirt as she shakily turned the cold water faucet on full. Splashing and rubbing at her face as she choked back a scream of rage, Max gripped at the sink and felt the metal begin to crumple ever so slightly from her grip. Letting go of the sink, she leaned her forehead against the mirror as she took a brief moment to cry before letting her heart go cold.

"Goddamn you, Victoria. You and your fucking snooping may have gotten you killed tonight," Max said with a low growl as she cracked the mirror into a spider-web pattern from a single punch. Max looked at the cracked, bloody glass and saw distorted copies of herself as her lips thinned into a single flat line. This night had been _hell_ , and she prayed it wouldn't get any worse as her actions from an hour before caught up with her. Max felt the skin of her knuckles split open from small cuts as punched the mirror again, anger rising as a single thought permeated everything else in her mind.

 _The thing that was Rachel Amber is dead._

 _ **The Day Prior**_

Released from the hospital yesterday, Kate had returned immediately to Blackwell and spent most of today begging Mr. Jefferson and Principal Wells to let Max come back for the presentation of the Everyday Heroes contest award tomorrow. Max chuckled as she thought of Kate stalking two fully-grown men, figuratively biting their heads off until they had caved. Kate told her that Jefferson had taken little convincing, but Wells only caved after Dana and Juliet had joined in on her little campaign. Getting a call earlier today, Max had been surprised to see the caller ID for "Black-Hell" and snickered as she realized that Chloe had been playing with her phone again.

"Uh, hello?" Max had asked, confused as to why anyone from there would call her.

"…Ms. Caulfield, this is Principal Wells at Blackw-"

"I know who this is, Mr. Wells. Um, what do you want?" Max asked, not bothering to hide her irritation towards the man.

"I'm not calling to agitate you, Max. Please. You are aware that Ms. Marsh returned to class here at Blackwell today?"

"Yeah, she called me about it. I'm just glad that she's well enough to get out of the hospital," Max said as she leaned against the railing of the landing outside her and Chloe's apartment.

"Yes, well, she's been rather… _insistent_ that you be present for tomorrow's photography class. She's to be presented with the award for winning the Everyday Heroes contest and she's been campaigning with a couple of other girls to have you allowed back for tomorrow's class."

"For cereal?" Max blurted out despite already knowing this from Kate's messages. It was still pretty funny to her, though. "Awww."

"…I am calling to let you know that if you wish to attend tomorrow's class you are welcome to do so. I understand that we did not part on the best of terms-"

"I'll be there. Bye," Max said as she hung up on Principal Wells after cutting him off. _Wowsers, who knew that Kate could be such a little hellion?_

Max looked out across the lot towards the coastline as the setting Sun played over the glistening water, snapping a numbers of photos with her work camera before going back inside. Having woken up only a few hours ago from a catnap, Max had been busy throughout the day from taking shots for a job with the Oregon Tourism Bureau, and had only just gotten back from filling an entire memory card with nature stills. Letting the door close behind her, Max slid off her worn Chuck Taylors and hung up her camera bag, sliding out an empty sports bottle with her free hand before moving over to the living room where her laptop sat on the coffee table. The now-familiar buzz of a tattoo gun emanating from the corner of the apartment next to the living space, Max looked over as Chloe focused on her latest customer. _I still kinda can't believe that_ Dana _wants a tattoo. I mean, if it were small then sure, but she wants a vine with blooming roses from her waistline all the way up to just below her armpit? Who knew she was a closet tattoo nerd?_

Max snickered as she flopped down onto the couch and plugged her camera into her laptop, going over her latest project with focused interest. Max's occasional one-track mind kept her from noticing anything outside of what she was bent on, so when the tattoo gun stopped she didn't even hear. Max was caught off-guard by the kiss on her cheek and shot her head up so quick that she heard a small "Oww!" from Chloe as she accidentally butted the crown of her head into the taller girl's chin.

"Love hurts," Max heard Dana say, laughing, as she watched from the table she was lying on in Chloe's work area.

"You okay?" Max said, looking up and trying not to smile as Chloe rubbed gingerly at her chin.

"Your love needs a caution sign, Max Caulfield," Chloe said before putting a hand to Max's neck, pulling out the bullet necklace she had given Max as a token of her accepting Chloe's proposal, "Looks good on you."

" _You_ look good on me," Max retorted, getting a grin from Chloe and a groan from Dana.

"Get a room!" Dana said as she laid her face flat on the table in exaggeration before lifting it back up to smirk.

"We have one," Chloe said, looking over at her customer as she walked back over, "You're laying down in the corner of it."

Hearing another groan as she returned her focus to the laptop, Max herself smirked at Dana playfully trolling them. Chloe was a sarcastic, punk bad-ass whenever anybody else was around, but Max knew how she was when it was just the two of them. _Your sass melts before my awesome power, Chloe Price. Bow._ Chloe had been acting with varying degrees of increased sweetness and kindness when it came to Max, though, whether it was in public or the privacy of their apartment.

Max wasn't complaining; in fact, she was ecstatic about it. This new side of Chloe, the vulnerable, genuine side, was just taking some getting used to. _Never mind that we're secretly engaged and just hiding everything from the world, holy fuck, and it's been days and I still can't believe this is real._ Every time either Max or Chloe brought of the sudden proposal, both girls became incredibly bashful only to start giggling, which in turn led to lots and _lots_ of affection.

"Guess who's coming back to Black-Hell tomorrow?" Max said aloud as she flipped through her pictures on the laptop's screen, wincing from the shriek that came from Dana, "Geez, Dana, why don't you screech a little higher so that we can get a pet dog?"

"I _knew_ that Principal Wells would back down!" Dana shouted over towards Max, Max practically hearing the smile on Dana's face, "Kate's surprisingly more bad-ass than people give her credit for."

"Y'know what would make her more bad-ass…?" Chloe started before Max looked up from her computer.

"She doesn't want a tattoo, Che," Max said, watching Chloe pout as she continued to work on Dana's tattoo, "Quit getting your hopes up!"

"But what if all I have is hope?" Chloe sarcastically replied back before breaking into a cheesy sing-song voice, "'These are what _dreeeeams_ are made of'…and all that crap."

"That's just incredibly sad and more than a little horrifying, hearing that come from you," Max called out, returning her attention to her computer as she began playing with her editing software, touching up some of the pictures' contrast and sharpness before folding the laptop closed. _Send these off later tonight, when I'm less distracted._

Hopping off of the couch, Max went over to the fridge and grinned a little when she saw a Styrofoam cup sitting on the top shelf, "For Max" scrawled across it with marker. Cautiously putting the straw to her lips, Max took a sip and sighed in relief at the cocktail flooding her system as she took drink after drink. _D'aww, Chloe, you left me dinner. Then again, I think Dana might get a little curious if I pulled a milk jug full of blood out of our freezer, heh._ Looking over as she closed the fridge door, Max saw Chloe glance at her and flash a quick smile before returning to work. _Such cute, very punk, so hardcore. Wow._ Max stifled a laugh as she walked over to where Chloe and Dana were and sat on the floor, leaning against the brick wall as she looked up at Dana on the massage table.

"God, this would be such a bitch if you two hadn't bought this table," Dana said, wincing slightly as Chloe started on the portion that ran up her ribcage, "Ugh, is it supposed to pinch like this?"

"Hush," Chloe said as she playfully tapped Dana on the top of her head, "I am so pro, you don't even know."

"She'll be here all night, ladies and gentlemen," Max said with a groan as she rolled her eyes at Chloe's intentional rhyming.

"You two bicker like a happily married old couple," Dana said with a faint snort as she tilted her head so that she was looking at Max, "How's work, Max? Haven't seen much of you since you quit Blackwell."

"Yeah, well, see how you feel about a place when they accuse you of dealing drugs because someone spread a fucking rumor," Max said, angrily sucking at her straw.

"You know that got cleared up, right? Like, Nathan admitted that it was just bullshit. It's how he got suspended."

"Doesn't change the fact that Principussy Wells just ate the hella pile of shit Nathan Asscott fed him," Chloe interjected, entering the conversation, "Besides, Max has her hands full with my goofy ass."

"This is true," Max said, nodding sagely as Chloe winked and stuck her tongue out in reply.

"Asshole."

"Stoner."

"Hippie."

"Hip _ster_."

"Delinquent."

"No," Max said as she raised a finger in protest, "That would be you. Your mom insists that I'm a good influence and I happen to think she is a brilliant judge of character."

Chloe opened her mouth to rebut what Max had said, but clamped it shut almost just as quickly, her face turning red as she resumed tattooing Dana. Dana winced and tilted her head towards Chloe to mutter "Don't press so hard!" before looking back over at Max.

"So? Work?" Dana asked, leaning her head against her folded arms as she lay on the massage table.

"Oh, some more photoshoots, fashion stuff, and a job from the Tourism Bureau. Taking shots of the woods and coastline for pamphlets or magazines. Something like that," Max said, her mind wandering slightly at memories of sprinting through the woods, climbing up trees to take angled shots from forest canopies before leaping across trees until her feet were back on the forest floor.

"Fashion? Really? Like who?" Dana asked, "Hello, Earth to Max. Who else have you been shooting behind my back?"

"Oh!" Max said, snapping out of her momentary daydream, "Um, Taylor, mostly. She dragged Courtney over for one shoot-"

"Wait. Wait a minute. Victoria's girl squad actually came to _you_ for photos?" Dana asked, Chloe smirking behind her.

"It took some convincing on their part, and a little bribing of Chloe to even get through the door, but yeah. Taylor actually came over twice yesterday, before _and_ after school. I was kinda shocked, but whatever. Work's work," Max said, looking past Dana to Chloe, "Tell her what you wanted from them in return."

"Dude, they have to fucking bake me pot brownies if they want their pictures," Chloe said in triumph, "My gatekeeping skills are second to _none_."

"A gatekeeper isn't supposed to let _anybody_ in, dork. At least, not because of a bribe," Max retorted, getting a feigned look of appalment from Chloe in return, "You're more like a bouncer. An occasionally shitty one, but definitely a bouncer."

"Either way I get food stuffs so therefore I win," Chloe chimed back in, shutting the tattoo gun off before she began to slather Dana's side gently with disinfectant and petroleum jelly, "Dude, do _not_ freaking stretch too much if you don't want this to hella fucking sting. Also, I wouldn't advise letting shower water smack it. Use a damp cloth when you wash it, okay?"

Standing up, Max set her empty Styrofoam cup on the floor to help Dana into a seated position, grabbing the black top off of the back of the living room chair and handing it to Dana so she could get dressed. Admiring Chloe's handiwork as the shirt carefully fell over it, Max nodded at the detail that Chloe had put into it. Max had marveled at all the sketchbooks Chloe had shown her when they had come back home from the dinner with Joyce last week, her blue-haired wonder enthusiastically keeping Max in bed with illustration after illustration. Chloe had even re-sketched their old movie posters and the mural they had made on the board outside of Joyce's house, getting a few tears from Max in return. _Skulls, faeries, flowers, and a few cliché tribal patterns. You've been keeping these skills a secret, haven't you, Chloe Price?_

Gratefully taking the small stack of cash from Dana's proffered hand, Chloe dramatically bowed before looking up as both Dana and Max groaned in response. Tilting her head and smirking, Chloe waved the money in Max's face as a tease before excusing herself when she headed for the kitchen. Max walked Dana out the door, standing on the landing as Dana turned around to look back at her.

"Seriously, though. You took really look, well, you look like a totally different couple than when you first got together," Dana said, observing Max's bashful facial expression, "Something is definitely up with you two."

"We're just…we're both just moving into the seriousness of our relationship. That's all," Max said, feeling Dana scrutinize her.

"Nice try, Max, but if you can't even look at me when you say that then I know there's more to it. I mean, you're wearing her clothes. Look at you, all done up in her flannel and t-shirt."

"Uh…" Max stammered, her eyes darting around to avoid the look on Dana's face.

"Well, whatever it is you've got going on, keep it up. You two look incredibly happy," Dana said, conceding defeat in her attempt to squirrel the truth out of Max as she waved and climbed down the stairs while favoring her newly-tattooed side.

Max watched Dana turn around the corner into the alleyway before walking back inside the apartment. Closing and locking the door, she smirked as Chloe came up behind her and wrapped her arms around Max's shoulders.

"I thought she'd never leave," Chloe softly spoke into Max's ear.

"She was _your_ customer," Max said, turning her head to eye Chloe with a smirk.

"Well, yeah, but still…" Chloe replied as she turned Max around to give the smaller girl a long kiss, pressing her lips firmly against Max's. Letting go, Chloe walked Max down the small hallway with her arm still draped across Max's shoulder. "So. I'm hungry."

"Do we not have food? We eat out enough as it is, Chloe. Never mind that we actually _have_ food in the kitchen," Max said, shaking her head at Chloe's attempt to garner sympathy.

"But pizza!" Chloe exclaimed, her voice a little too whiny and her face a little too pouty to get anything out of Max, "B-b-but-"

"Yeah, you're a butt," Max said, cutting Chloe off with a laugh, "There's leftover pizza in the fridge. From _yesterday_. If you want pizza, eat that."

Max sat on the couch as she watched Chloe grumble while heading over to the kitchen, returning with a plate that had three slices of pizza stacked on it.

"This is not enough to sustain me," Chloe said, clasping her hands together as she prostrated herself before a smirking Max, "I saved you a slice, but require more nourishment."

"Then eat a salad," Max implored, taking Chloe's clasped hands and biting down gently on Chloe's fingers, "Eat, or I'll eat you out of spite."

"Nooooo!" Chloe said as she quickly slid her hands out of Max's grip and towards the plate sitting on her lap. Chloe munched away at her cold pizza for a bit before pausing mid-slice. "When are you going out?"

"Meh, I'm gonna wait till you go to sleep," Max shrugged, leaning over to kiss Chloe's pizza sauce-covered lips, "Why?"

"Well, I need a timeframe if I'm to throw a hella thrashing party. Y'know, get some bowls and some beers. Invite random strangers and biker babes, the usual," Chloe teased.

"Oh, well in that case maybe I'll just hide out on the rooftop and pay each partygoer a visit," Max said, popping out her fangs as she smiled at Chloe.

Chloe laughed and returned Max's kiss with one of her own before resuming her supper of cold pizza and a beer. Max sat peacefully as she watched Chloe bite into her food, licking her fingers as she occasionally got sauce on them. _I need to keep you safe, keep what we have safe._ Max leaned up against Chloe as she thought of how amazing these quiet moments were, and wished that's all they ever had. Seeing Max's peaceful, far away stare, Chloe grinned and took a long swig of her beer as she playfully nudged Max's head with her own.

"What…?" Max said before realizing she had been lost in her thoughts, slightly embarrassed.

"You do that a _lot_ , Maxaroni," Chloe said as she scooted back to the arm rest next to her and turned so that she was sitting against it, facing Max, "Where do you go when you dream?"

"It's a mixed bag," Max said, fiddling with her hands as she felt a moment of awkwardness, then letting out a long sigh, "Sometimes it's happy stuff, things with you or moments from before where I could actually take in some of the places I've been. Mostly…"

"Yeah?" Chloe asked, watching Max close her eyes for a moment before opening them with a sad, distant look on her face.

"I'm on the run, always running from something. Memories and nightmares mixed together as I'm always under attack. Blood on my hands, a growl in the back of my throat as I'm pressed into a corner by people who want to hurt me, cage me. Like they did the month I was g-g-," Max stuttered as she began to break into a sob, catching herself before it could stretch out into a full bout of tears.

"Damn, Max. Did you ever have a moment to yourself, a real moment?" Chloe asked, her curiosity _and_ concern plain for Max to see.

"Not really. Kind of a rarity, to be honest. A lot of my shots from the portfolios I have are where I had an hour here or a few hours there. The only time I really got to decompress was when Maeve and Stephen hid me in Ireland," Max said with a faint weariness at the memory of her years running from pursuer after pursuer.

"Those the twins you told me about, the ones who fought with you in the woods outside of town? The Feral fight?" Chloe asked, getting only a nod from Max in reply. Chloe didn't push the topic further, knowing that Max's stress from all of her years away had left scars that would take a while to heal.

Max slid over to where Chloe was sitting and nestled herself against Chloe's chest, feeling the beat of her fiancé's heart as she closed her eyes for a moment of relief. Max twitched slightly at the memories of all her fighting and hiding, desperately clinging to what was left of herself as she had to defend her life over and over.

"I really want to just stay home tonight," Max said in a somber tone.

"Then stay," Chloe said, brushing her fingers through Max's head of hair, "Your hair always looks like it's coppery in the light. I don't remember that from when we were kids."

"A person's hair color _does_ change over time, Che. I mean, you might have dyed yours but you're more blonde than I remember," Max sighed, "Besides, my mom _and_ dad both had reddish hair when they were my age. Figures I'd grow into it, too."

Max and Chloe rattled on about random topics after that for a couple hours. Tattoos, photography, their friendship and relationship, everything was fair game. Max had a smile on her face nearly the entire time, just chatting away with Chloe as they relaxed further with each other. Before, Chloe had only wanted to talk about fun things or some crazy-ass scheme she had concocted. Now, she wanted to know how Max felt, the things she had seen and done, and wanted to share everything with Max in kind. Max felt a little admiration blooming from her unyielding love for Chloe, proud that she was opening up when it was still difficult at times, and expressed it with long glances and loving smiles that made Chloe blush.

They had retreated to the bedroom when Chloe stifled her first yawn, Max towing a pouting Chloe into bed. Sniggering, Max had brought her laptop and they spent a couple hours watching random shows and snippets of movies off of Netflix, curled up next to each other as they played with each other's feet, Chloe's blue-nailed toes poking at Max's pale feet. Max felt the warmth of Chloe's skin next to her own and wished that she could just lay there for the rest of the night, but that was not going to happen and both girls knew it.

"Heading out?" Chloe asked with a big yawn as she looked up at the clock above the bathroom door, "Aw, dude, it's only 11. C'mon back to bed."

"Can't," Max said as she pulled a pair of boots on and double-checking that her phone was fully charged, "You know how it is."

"Yeah, yeah. Max?" Max turned at Chloe's tone, worried and hesitant.

"Hmm?"

"Be careful. I mean, it's _Arcadia Bay_ , but still. Be careful," Chloe said, the worry on her face easing a bit when Max leaned across the bed and kissed her on the forehead and ran her fingers through Chloe's hair before heading towards the door. Grabbing her leather jacket, Max zipped it up to her neck and slid on a pair of gloves as she headed out the door.

 _It's always so quiet here at night_ , Max thought as she dropped off the landing and onto the pavement below, landing in a crouching position next to the wall of the apartment building, _I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Like Chloe said, it_ is _Arcadia Bay. Still, it's nice. Well, it's nice when I'm out here for fun and not to stalk something._ Max had spent the past evenings out while Chloe slept, searching Arcadia Bay and the outlying woods for any signs of Rachel Amber. Turning up empty on the outskirts of town, Max had come to the conclusion that Rachel was hiding somewhere in town, moving its nest from place to place maybe. Max had come close a few times, coming into a recently abandoned nest or finding a small blood trail from a pet or other animal that had been fed on, but never actually _seeing_ Rachel Amber. _Is this how they actually are, when they're not fighting in packs? I should ask Maeve or Stephen for advice, but I don't want it getting out that there's a Feral in the same town as me and I can't find it. I don't need that kind of trouble._

Max climbed onto her Vespa and zipped out of the alleyway, heading towards Two Whales. Getting into the habit of starting her search there, Max would leave the scooter in the Two Whales parking lot and scale the wall of the small building behind the diner to avoid the visibility of the street lights as much as possible. After a couple of nights where she had broken the small light over the back door of the diner, Max had been thankful when the cook had decided to no longer replace the bulb. Pulling into Two Whales, Max looked out onto the street as the minor traffic of the evening buzzed by. A town car, couple trucks, and semi all cruised by Two Whales over the minutes Max spent scanning the street before feeling comfortable enough.

Walking to the other side of the parking lot, Max leapt up and vaulted the chain-link fence in a single jump, landing on the ground for only a moment before jumping onto the closed dumpster and hoisting herself over the roof's edge belonging to the hardware store next to Two Whales. Sprinting to the other side of the rooftop, Max checked to ensure there was no approaching traffic before she leaped again, this time crossing the street in mid-air and rolling onto the roof across from where she had been. _Where will you go tonight, Max?_ Max sniffed at the air, cringing as she picked up on something rotten coming from a dumpster in the alleyway below her. _Ew. It reeks so bad_. Waving her hand across her face, Max jogged across the rooftops of the buildings around Two Whales, peering down towards the ground below as she checked for signs of anything unusual.

Hearing a loud rustling noise a couple hours in, Max dropped off the Arcadia Bay Savings and Loan to head towards an abandoned house near the side of town leading to the lighthouse. Quietly approaching the ramshackle building, Max pressed her ear against the boarded-up doorway and heard what sounded like something moving inside. Not wanting to spook what could possibly be Rachel Amber inside, Max climbed onto the porch railing and lifted herself onto the roof of the building. Finding a window that had been broken into on the second floor, Max looked through the open space first before entering. Not finding any glass or anything that may alert whatever was downstairs, Max gingerly stepped onto the floor and tip-toed out of the small room.

Following the hallway down to a staircase, Max leaned over the railing and peered down into what she could see of the first floor. _It got really quiet, really fast. I don't think I made any noise._ Leaning over a little more, pressing her stomach onto the railing, Max took the stairs one at a time as she made her way towards whatever had been making that noise. Growing increasingly nervous with each step she made, Max froze for a second when she heard a _whump_ coming from somewhere down the hall from where she stood. Breaking into a run, Max proceeded to kick open every door and peek inside before moving onto the next room. Opening the second-to-last room in the hallway, Max splintered the door in half with a sharp kick and ran inside only to curse at herself in frustration.

A boarded-up window on the opposite side of the door, the actual board looked like something had burst through it. A small collection of dead animals lay at Max's feet as she cringed from the smell of early putrefaction, gagging at the sight and stench. Grabbing what appeared to be the remains of a blanket, Max covered the grotesque display only to smack herself in the forehead as she realized that she'd still smell it anyway. Walking around the room, Max examined the small collection of blankets, pillows, and length pieces of random fabric that had been placed in a corner of the room. _The sunlight wouldn't hit it here. It could feed and rest relatively easy. I just don't understand – why hasn't it left yet?_ Is _there some remnant of Rachel still present? Does it sense Kate or something? Oh crap, will it come after Chloe?_ Max scratched at her head before kicking the bundle of rags with her foot in frustration.

"Ugh!" Max growled in irritation, "Fuck!"

Climbing out of the hole made in the boarded-up window, Max took a seat on the porch railing and pulled out her phone. She needed more information, she needed _something_ so that this search for Rachel doesn't feel completely pointless. _Maybe I'm just imagining things. She could be gone, could be just animals or something. Yeah, animals. Ugh, who are you kidding, Max?_ Max's index finger hovered over the name "Stephen" on her message app for a second before she reluctantly started to type.

 **Max: hey. Is it always so damn hard 2 track something?**

 **Stephen: lol it can b. depends on the 'thing'**

 **Stephen: What u tracking? A hunt?**

 **Max: yea. Being real fucking annoying, always close but never quite getting there.**

 **Stephen: …is this about the Feral?**

 **Max: wut no y would u ask that**

 **Stephen: Max u can tell me the truth**

 **Stephen: I won't say anything**

 **Max: u back home?**

 **Stephen: Seattle. Sis's bein a tourist, we've never been to America**

 **Max: can u come back 2 Arcadia?**

 **Max: I need halp**

 **Stephen: sure. U want Sis 2?**

 **Max: nah let her b a tourist**

 **Stephen: b there 2morrow night**

 **Max: thx bye**

Max nearly threw her phone when she finished talking to Stephen, fear overcoming the moment of cheerfulness she got from making banter with an old friend. _Stupid! Why did I do that?_ Clutching the phone in her hand, Max stared at it for a moment before switching it back on. Quickly going back to the app, Max grunted when she saw that Stephen had already gone offline. _Fuck!_

Max left the building and began to track the lingering scent of decay she had smelled from the pile of animals, hoping that Rachel had been around them long enough to leave something she could follow. Sniffing at the air, Max picked up on something foul and entered the alleyway across the street. Finding it empty, Max crossed the darkened area as she continued to track the smell of rot out to the other side of the alleyway. This continued for some time, Max halting as the scent seemingly disappeared only to pick up on it a block or two away as it headed in a new direction.

"Crap," Max said as she sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand, "I think at this point that smell is _all_ I'm picking up on." Pulling out a stick of cinnamon gum, Max chewed it for a bit before exhaling, groaning when she realized that she had been tracking a scent _stuck in her nose_ for the better part of half an hour.

"Grrr, argh," Max said sarcastically as she started to walk back in the direction of Two Whales, frustrated and empty-handed again.

Max figured she was halfway to the diner when she noticed the town car from earlier cruise across the street she was facing. She didn't think anything of it, but it still caught her attention. Pulling her phone out, Max saw that it was way too late for just a passerby to be making their way through Arcadia Bay. Shrugging because by that point she no longer cared, Max crossed the street and kept on walking for a couple more blocks before deciding to expedite the situation. A half-jump, half-climb, Max ascended up the wall of a random building from an alleyway she was originally going to walk by and began to hop across the rooftops. Making sure that no one saw, Max peered down and raised an eyebrow as she saw the same town car from before slow down at the street entrance to the alleyway before unrolling its passenger side window.

Max couldn't make anything out from the angle she was watching the car from, but the car itself was nice. Relatively new, the dim street lighting reflected off of it save for the ridiculously tinted windows. _Stereotype, thy name is 'Fancy-pants Car'. Seriously, how do you…wait, could a vampire be in there?_ Max felt herself stiffen as the thought crossed her mind. _Could that be Antony? What if someone got ahold of Stephen's phone somehow?_

Max shook her head to get the paranoid ideas out of the forefront of her mind, opting to change into the pursuer rather than the pursued. Hopping from rooftop to rooftop, Max waited on the roof directly above where she had parked her scooter. Waiting until she saw the town car slowly approach from a couple blocks away, Max felt her eyes shift as everything suddenly bloomed in vivid detail. Retracting her fangs as they involuntarily popped out, Max's felt her ire grow as she eyed the car for a moment longer before hopping over the roof edge to land next to her scooter. Grabbing her helmet, Max quickly snapped her goggles on to mask her glowing eyes with smoked lenses. _I can see through these. Can you see through your redonkulously dark windshield?_ Max aggressively started up her little Vespa and shot out of the parking lot, cutting the town car off with a screech of its brakes.

Max eyed the town car through the lenses of her goggles as it stood only a few feet from her. Revving her scooter's engine, Max steered it in the opposite direction the town car was going and slowly pushed it past the town car before zipping down the street and taking a sharp turn towards where her apartment was. _I_ should _probably patrol more but my nose is stopped up with dead animal smell and that car is freaking stalking me. Screw you guys, I'm going home._ Max rolled her eyes as she continued driving through the streets of Arcadia Bay, looking back through her rearview mirror to see that she was at least being left alone now.

Her scooter parked along the back wall of the building underneath their apartment's landing, Max opted to take the steps as she ascending towards home, feeling vaguely sluggish and a little angry from being stalked. _Ironic, considering that I'm tracking Rachel. Well, trying and failing to track her._ Unlocking the door, Max slid inside and quietly closed it as she heard Chloe sleeping from inside the apartment. Hanging up her jacket and slipping off her boots, Max walked in and smiled to herself at the sight of Chloe asleep on the couch. _Aww, she tried to wait for me._ _You are to be commended, Che, an 'A for effort'._

Walking over to the fridge, Max opened it up and brought out the last slice of pizza and a small flask-sized bottle of Hot Damn 100-proof liquor. Lazily biting at the slice while taking small drinks of the cinnamon schnapps, Max watched Chloe sleep from her seat at the kitchen counter. Not wanting to move her, Max decided to let Chloe sleep as opposed to waking her up just to lay her back down to sleep before going to bed herself.

Waking up around ten in the morning, Max chuckled as she turned over to see that Chloe had crawled up next to her at some point during the early morning hours. _How much do you sleep, Chloe? And where can I get some of that shut-eye you seem to have a monopoly on?_ Max thought with a yawn as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Letting her feet dangle for a moment as she lazily kicked her legs, Max shook the sleep out of her head and stood up, quietly walking to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get ready for her trip back to Blackwell.

Topping off her sports bottle after giving it a thorough rinsing, Max slid the bottle into her camera bag as she finished getting ready. Hearing a quiet "Oof" from the bedroom, Max looked around the corner of the hallway as she saw a zombie-looking Chloe stumble towards the kitchen, flashing Max a weary smile as she bumped into the counter in her dazed state.

"Ugh, fuck you counter!" Chloe said, smacking the countertop with a flat palm, "Where ya goin'?"

"Blackwell, remember?" Max replied, coming from around the corner as Chloe began to fix herself a bowl of cereal, "Kate's being _officially_ awarded for Everyday Heroes."

"Mmm-hmm," Chloe verbalized, her mouth shut as she ate her cereal.

"I have to get going, Che, but I will text you if Kate or the other girls make any plans so you can come join us. Okay?" Max said, kissing Chloe on the cheek and looking at her for confirmation of Chloe understanding what Max had just said. Getting a sluggish nod in response, Max gave her fiancé one more kiss on the cheek before walking out the door.

"…and so, I am more than happy to present Kate Marsh, winner of Blackwell's entry in the Everyday Heroes contest for 2013," Mr. Jefferson said with a smile as he led the class into a round of applause. Max put her fingers between her lips and blew out a loud whistle, grinning as she saw Kate blush from everyone's recognition. _Well,_ almost _everyone_ , Max thought as she looked over at Victoria. _What the hell have you been up to?_

Victoria's eyes were drooping and her blouse looked a little wrinkled. Despite what looked like a case of what Max thought of as the 'I'm-Victoria-and-I-spend-my-nights-doing-stupid-shit" virus, Victoria still had enough energy to shoot both Max and Kate hateful glares before shifting her hostility to her phone as she practically smashed her finger on the screen. Max made a point of rolling her eyes in Victoria's direction before walking over to give her shy friend a congratulatory hug.

"Why hello, fellow Everyday Heroes winner!" Max said as she squeezed gently while hugging a giggling Kate, "You now join an elite posse of photography ninjas who cross the globe to see who can be the nerdiest photographer."

"Wow, I feel so honored," Kate said as she scrunched her nose with a huge grin. _Be like this as much as you can, Kate. Let the world see you smile._

"So, plans?" Dana said as she came up to the two girls before giving Kate a warm hug, snickering as she pointed out Juliet watching and waving from the hallway, "Dinner?"

"Oh, is it cool if Chloe comes along?" Max asked, the idea of dinner and Chloe fusing together in obvious symmetry.

"Would Two Whales be okay?" Kate asked Max sheepishly, "I know you said that her mom works there…"

"Are you kidding? She'll eat half of the diner, of course it'll be fine with her," Max replied, trying to stifle a laugh at the thought of Chloe actually _eating half the diner_.

The celebration continued well after class was over, Max hanging out with Kate in her room as Juliet and Dana got ready. Max watched Kate play with her bunny in a moment of peaceful cheer before pulling out her phone to text her blue-haired wonder girl.

 **Max: Dinner 2 Whales. Be here in 10?**

 **Chloe: Pizza?**

 **Max: wtf Che**

 **Chloe: Kidding, kidding**

 **Chloe: b there soon**

 **Chloe: ily my little mosquito**

 **Max: ughhhhhh I'm not a mosquito ughhhhh**

 **Max: ily2 :***

 **Chloe: NO EMOJI**

Chloe had arrived almost exactly ten minutes later, stomping up the stairs as Max, Kate, Juliet, and Dana opened the stairway door to head downstairs. Pausing mid-step to give Kate a hug and mess up the girl's hair by patting her on the head in good fun, Chloe scooped up Max like a bride and carried her down the steps, getting a round of laughter from the other girls as they all headed downstairs and outside. Max wiggled as she playfully slapped at Chloe's chest, dramatically crying out "Put me down!", before feeling a moment of embarrassment as the boy who had hit on her that one time in the courtyard just stared at her and Chloe in what looked like dumbfounded shock.

"Uh, hi Wallace!" Max said, waving before realizing she had gotten his name wrong. Burying her face in Chloe's shirt, Max felt Chloe's body shake as she laughed from Max's bashfulness.

"Oh," Chloe gasped between laughs before finally putting Max down in the main courtyard, "Oh, Max, his jaw dropped and I think he mouthed something about that not being his name. That was fucking priceless, Jesus Christ."

Making it to the truck with Chloe still snickering from Max's bungling up the boy's name, Max let Kate slide in first before hopping inside the truck as Chloe started the vehicle up. Dana and Juliet following close behind as they all headed to Two Whales.

The dinner had been fun, and Max had enjoyed getting to spend time with her friends and Chloe. Seeing the group of girls enter the diner together, Joyce had been thrilled at the visual of Chloe having friends, nearly hugging Kate to the point of asphyxiation. Leading the four of them to the booth usually occupied by just Max and Chloe, Kate squeezed in with the couple thanks to Max's small size while Juliet and Dana sat in the bench across the table. Returning with menus and waters, Joyce was about to take their drink orders when she spotted something Max was wearing.

"Well, isn't _that_ interesting?" Joyce said as she pointed towards Max with her pencil, " _How_ did you convince Chloe to let you wear her necklace? She hasn't taken that necklace off in four years."

Seeing all the attention shift to her, Max instinctively buried her face in Chloe's arm, her shyness not being alleviated as Chloe coughed on her water in response to the directness of Joyce's question. Max peeked her eyes around to see Dana and Joyce eyeing her with equal intent and quickly hid again.

"Max, you can sit there all you want but it's pretty damn obvious somethin' is going on between you two," Joyce said, Dana nodding in agreement as Kate and Juliet looked on in bemused curiosity.

"Nooooo," Max faintly uttered from within the sleeve of Chloe's jacket, "N-nothing is going on."

"Are you serious? You're hiding in Chloe's sleeve, in the middle of a restaurant," Dana said, steepling her fingers together, "What, did you guys elope or something?"

Max heard Joyce's pencil drop after a moment and looked up to see Chloe's beet-red face as she looked out the window, giving away what Chloe herself had wanted to keep between them.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price, did you and Max get-" Joyce said in a tone that was both stern and awestruck.

"We're engaged," Max replied in surrender, relinquishing her hiding spot to sag in the booth. Chloe spun her head to look over at Max with a look that screamed _Traitor!_ before sighing and kissing Max on the top of her head, then looked up at her mom.

"Yeah, um, I asked Max to marry me and she hella said yes," Chloe said, trying to maintain her usual cool tone and failing as her voice cracked at the word "yes".

Dana and Juliet's jaws dropped, with Kate just looking at them with a beaming expression. Joyce looked at Max and Chloe as they leaned up against each other and spun around to head behind the counter. Chloe shot Max a worried look as the other girls began to chatter about this new revelation when Joyce returned with four slices of piping-hot cherry pie.

"I can't exactly give you all champagne or anything, it being illegal 'cause your minors and also this being a _diner_ , not a fancy restaurant, but I can do something to congratulate you girls," Joyce said as she nodded at a blushing Chloe and a Max who had once again hid her face in Chloe's sleeve. "Oh come out of there, Max, you're not in trouble or anything. I'm just…it's just…" Joyce began to choke up as her eyes became watery. Sliding out of the booth, Kate stood to the side as Max and Chloe climbed out to give the teary-eyed Joyce a hug, Joyce sniffling as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"I-I knew that you two loved each other, that you have for years, but I never thought that…oh, Chloe, what are you going to do? What about a job?" Joyce asked, watching as Chloe gave Max a knowing look before giving her mom another hug that was just between them.

The rest of the evening was a mixture of giggles and congratulations; for Kate, in appreciation of her winning a contest that will help her get recognition for her work and a step in the door of professional photography, and for Chloe and Max's commitment to each other. Spending most of the evening in a daze of giddiness and bashful awkwardness, the hours spun by for Max as they went from Two Whales, the four of them ending up eating only the pie, to Max and Chloe's apartment. Snapping out of her fugue state, Max found herself seated on the stool in the kitchen as Chloe came around from the hallway to drop a stack of pizza boxes on the counter in front of Max.

"What the fuck?!" Max yelped as she snapped out of her euphoric trance, "Chloe…?"

"Out of autopilot, huh? Don't worry," Chloe said as she leaned down to give Max a soft, loving kiss that got an "Ooooh" from the other girls before grinning, "I went and got us dinner."

Max opened and closed her eyes in slow succession, acting like her vision was unfocused, before looking up at Chloe and then down at what was stacked in front of her.

"Really, Che? _Pizza again?_ What are you, a fucking Ninja Turtle?" Max asked, trying to sound irritated but failing as she saw the wide smiles on everybody else's faces.

"Hella yes! Pizza for the win, pizza in mah belly!" Chloe said, raising her fist in a gesture of triumph before opening the first box. Max threw up her hands in mock surrender and went to one of the cabinets to get some plates, still somewhat in shock from the evening's turn of events. _Wowsers, what the hell just happened?_

Getting late, Max excused herself from the celebratory mood and went outside, grabbing her jacket and slipping it on as she made from the door. Hearing footsteps run up behind her, Max spun at the open door and nearly toppled down the steps as Chloe damn near mauled her, the combination of beer and pizza having a euphoric effect on Max's blue-haired fiancé.

"Dude, where're you going? We totally have to parrrr-tay!" Chloe said, taking Max's hands as she tried to get the small vampire girl to dance, "C'mon, shake that pale ass!"

"I cannot shake at the moment, Che," Max said with a faint pout as she pulled Chloe down by her tank top to give her a kiss, "Searching to do, places to go."

" _Now?_ " Chloe said, sounding a little incredulous, "Are you cereal?! What about Kate? What about Dana and Juliet?"

"Tell them that something came up for me," Max said with a small grin and a shrug, "You'll come up with something."

"…Alright, but you totally owe me breakfast in bed tomorrow morning, like some hella deliciousness and shit."

"I know, Lovely, I know," Max said, biting her lip as she saw Chloe light up at her new nickname. Giving her one more quick kiss, Max reluctantly made her way down the steps.

Max hadn't even made it to her usual spot at Two Whales before she saw the town car from the night before begin to tail her after coming in from an adjacent street. Irritated and becoming a little more paranoid as it followed her block by block, Max gassed the Vespa's engine and shot ahead as fast as the little scooter would allow. Zipping down the street, Max pulled her scooter into a sharp turn onto the sidewalk and around a corner, waiting for the town car to come around and feeling a smile of satisfaction cross her lips as it sped past. Not having been noticed, Max watched from the shadows of the entranceway she had nestled herself and her scooter in as the town car started to slow down, flashing its brake lights. Pulling out of the darkened space, Max steered her scooter off the sidewalk and along the side of the car that had been following her since last night. Knocking on the driver's side window, Max began to grow irritated as she received no reply. Feeling the car about to lurch, Max grabbed ahold of the door's handle and pulled herself alongside the few feet the car moved forward before it came to a halt again.

Taking her hand off the handle, Max knocked at the driver's side window with a little more force.

"Open the fuck up! I'm sick of this shit!" Max yelled at the closed window, getting ready to pound on the window a third time before the window opened just enough for her to recognize the driver.

"Victoria?! What the hell?!" Max exclaimed, her surprise quickly outweighing her anger. Max peeled out a bit as she made a sharp turn so that she wasn't directly next to the car. Max followed the car as it pulled over to the curb and watched Victoria climb out of the driver's seat with a look of embarrassment and hostility on her face.

"What do you want, Max?" Victoria asked, crossing her arms but looking away from Max's expression of shock.

"What do I want?" Max asked, incredulous, "Why have you been following me? I recognize this car, Victoria. You were the one following me last night. Admit it."

"I don't know what you're-" Victoria started to say before Max cut her off.

"Stop. Stop lying," Max said, her angry tone causing Victoria to lift her head up so that the two girls were facing each other.

"I've been…having this dream, like a memory. It feels so real that I sometimes think it is something that I forgot," Victoria relented, her expression one of confusion, "I'm at the lighthouse with Nathan when you and your idiot girlfriend show up and shit gets stupid real fast. Next thing I know, Nathan's pointing a gun at all of us and you're jumping in the path of one bullet to save your bestie only to push me aside from getting shot by another bullet."

"Uh, okay…" Max said as she tried to hide her anxiety. _You shouldn't even remember that, even as a dream! Crap!_

"I know it sounds fucking ridiculous, so don't give me that tone, you little shit," Victoria said with a faint sneer before her face grew pensive once more, "I saw you pick up Nathan like he was nothing and shake him until he cried, watched you hold him over the cliff's edge. I saw…I saw your eyes glow and your teeth grow longer like you were some kind of freak out of a horror movie. In my dream, I mean."

Max's eyes narrowed inside of her goggles, irritated and worried that Victoria remembered some of the major details from the day she and Nathan had broken into their building to find the then-captive Rachel Amber.

"You _do_ realize how ridiculous you sound, right?" Max asked, trying to sound aloof.

Victoria huffed and stomped back into her car, peeling out as she sped away. Leaning back against the brick of the corner building, Max closed her eyes and took in some air before exhaling it as she calmed herself down. Max had _not_ expected her pursuer to be Victoria Chase, _of all people_. Wondering if Nathan had actually said anything to her, Max shook her head at the idea. _I put the fear of Dog into him at the lighthouse. If he said anything, I'll make him wish I had dropped him._ Sitting back on her scooter, Max was about to start the engine when a specific scent caught her attention.

Snapping her head up, Max looked straight head and felt her fangs instinctively pop out. Rachel Amber was half-crouched in the middle of the street, a few blocks down from where Max was. Instinct taking over, Max started up her scooter and shot after Rachel, the feral vampire standing completely still for a moment before breaking off into a run as it began to retreat. Max sped along, chasing after the fleeing creature as it hopped a fence onto a patch of woods on the outskirts of Arcadia Bay. Leaning her scooter against the fence, Max tossed her helmet as she vaulted the fence in pursuit.

Sprinting through the woods without any concern as her prey of over a week had finally reared its head at her, Max blasted through the woods at top speed, dashing through underbrush and other small foliage without a care. Her energy building up, Max grinned as she saw Rachel leap another fence and sprint towards a dimly lit parking lot. _I've got you now…oh, shit_. Rachel ran across the parking lot and up the sidewalk, Max freezing for a split-second as she recognized where she was with a cold dread in the pit of her stomach. Max had followed Rachel Amber to Blackwell Academy. Cursing under her breath, Max made to sprint after Rachel when the very person she had been harassed by the past two nights pulled into the parking lot. Headlights flashing across her vision, Max covered her eyes and retracted her fangs as Victoria's car lurched to a halt. Not even bothering to turn the engine off, Victoria hurriedly got out of her car to stare at Max with irritation at first, followed by what Max thought might be wonder.

"How did…? How did you get here so fast? Your little scooter can't possibly go faster than my car?" Victoria said with a smirk as she put a hand to her hip, "What the fuck are you up to, Max Caulfield?"

 _I don't have time for this!_ Deigning to not reply to Victoria's nasty tone, Max turned to the stairs leading up to the courtyard and made a break for it. Hearing Victoria shout after her, Max grimaced as she looked ahead to see Rachel sniffing around near the entrance to the main building. _No!_ Max ran up to the corner of the gym building, peeking around the corner when she heard Victoria catch up.

"You're going to answer my questions, you uppity shit!" Victoria said hotly, only to look at Max with an expression of shock as Max clamped her hand over Victoria's mouth. _Ah, to Hell with it_ , Max thought to herself, _I can just try and put her under trance again later. If I can actually_ do it _this time._ Popping her fangs back out, Max let her eyes shift into their glowing violet hue and looked back at Victoria as the other girl muffled under Max's hold for a moment longer before staring at Max with eyes opened wide. Max felt the vibration of Victoria shrieking behind her clasping hand as Max bared her fangs and pointedly blinked her bright eyes.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Victoria, but I swear if you say _anything_ about this I will sit outside your dorm room window every night and scare the shit out of you until people think you're as insane as your shithead friend Nathan," Max hissed, slowly releasing her hold over Victoria's mouth. Max watched Victoria take a couple short breaths and look at Max in utter shock.

"You're a…a…"

"Vampire."

"Right. Right?"

"Honest-to-Dog, Victoria, _yes_ I am a vampire. Now be quiet!" Max hissed again as she pointed at the main building of Blackwell Academy, "Crap, it's already gone inside! Come on!"

Max latched onto Victoria's wrist and began to hurriedly drag the befuddled girl with her across the courtyard as they made their way to the main building. The doors wrenched open, Max let out a quiet groan of frustration as she pushed Victoria in before entering the building herself.

"What the fuck are we doing?" Victoria whispered, her eyes narrowed at Max while keeping what she thought was a safe distance.

"It's 'we' already? Gee, I love you too, Victoria," Max replied with a sardonic look of mild revulsion, " _I_ am hunting. You are following me because I don't fucking trust you to keep your damn mouth shut." Max saw Victoria's face sour, then turn into an expression of horror as she mouthed the word _hunt_.

"I really don't have time for this," Max said as she grabbed onto Victoria's other wrist and began to pull her along, Max stopping in the middle of the main walkway to sniff in the direction of each interconnected hallway.

Noting nothing from the direction leading to the gym, Max sniffed towards the hall she knew led to the photography lab and began to walk down it with Victoria in tow as she caught Rachel's scent. Max could hear Victoria's heartbeat thunder, hard to avoid with Max starting to get hungry from the expenditure of energy sprinting after Rachel, as she sniffed at the air to try and discern where Rachel had gone. Walking up to the double doors leading into the next section of the school, Max turned to see a quizzical expression on Victoria's face.

"Ugh, _what_?" Max asked, feeling a reluctant pang of regret at how Victoria flinched at her angry tone, "Sorry. What is it?"

"How do you do that?" Victoria asked, the hostility in her tone and body language replaced with an intense curiosity, "How did you get here so fast? Are you going to kill something? A-are you going to kill _me_?"

"I _will_ feed on you if you don't stop with the questions," Max said as she opened one of the double doors, sniffing as she once more caught Rachel's scent.

"But-"

" _Victoria,_ " Max abruptly growled, taking a second to calm herself as she pulled the other girl alongside her down the hall, "Victoria, I will answer any and _all_ the questions you obviously have, but right now I'm working so be a dear and _shut the fuck up_."

Max heard Victoria's jaw clamp shut and smirked as she looked straight ahead towards a set of cherry-red wooden doors. Glancing back at Victoria, Max nodded her head towards the doors with a questioning look on her face.

"Uh, the library? Have you never even set foot anywhere here except for Mark's classroom?" Victoria blurted out in a moment of her trademark snappishness before shutting up again when she saw the loathing in Max's glowing violet eyes. "Right. Shutting up now."

"Good idea."

The library was huge, shelves lining the walls in the giant two-storied room with tables and bookshelves scattered across the first floor. Max sniffed around a bit more and listened, shutting out the sounds Victoria was making. Hearing a rustling noise and a slurping, Max paused before looking back at Victoria.

"What are you doing?" Victoria asked as Max let go of her wrist, "You can't just leave me here!"

Max mouthed _I'm not_ back at Victoria and put a finger to her lips. Grabbing a metal post near the door that had a "Quiet, please" sign on it, Max slid the post through the handles of the door so that it was somewhat secure. Gesturing for Victoria to follow her, Max and Victoria crouched as they moved along the bookshelves facing the doors out of the library. Peeking around the corner of them, Max saw a shape moving around across the library. While it was probably near-impossible for Victoria to see, Max's violet eyes made night as clear as day and she watched as Rachel Amber slurped down blood from a couple rats it had found. _Remember, Max. Rachel is dead, this thing is not her. It wears her face, but doesn't have any of her left. Chloe will understand, she already knows what has to be done. It's just…what if this changes things between us…?_ Narrowing her eyes, Max pulled Victoria back around the corner so that they were on the side of the bookshelf opposite Rachel's line of sight.

"What?" Victoria mouthed, seeing Max's signal to keep quiet.

"I need you to stay here."

" _What?!"_

Max was about to repeat her instructions when Victoria slapped at her shoulders and made an exaggerated gesture with her arms wide open. _Ohhh, she means it like 'What the fuck are you thinking?!' Gotcha._ Max gave Victoria a stern look and mouthed _Stay here_ before adding _Unless you feel like being food tonight_. Seeing Victoria stiffen and back herself into the bookshelf, Max nodded and moved to come around the shelf so that she could see Rachel. Not having been detected, Max began to slowly make her way towards Rachel, hiding behind a couple tables as she approached the feral creature in a zig-zag pattern. Taking a few short breaths to try and ease her nerves, Max spun around when she heard some books fall out of the shelf Victoria was hiding behind. _Oh, no. Ohhh, nononono._

Max spun back around and saw Rachel dart after the source of the noise. Max felt herself freeze for a second as Rachel flew close by her, the hair swept from its face so that for a moment Max saw the girl in Chloe's photos. Snapping out of it, Max ran after her as she heard a blood-curdling scream emanate from where Victoria had been hiding. Hearing the sound of cloth and skin being torn open, Max came around the corner and slammed a boot into the side of Rachel's skull, feeling a cracking sensation through her feet as the feral creature's flopped over and began to hobble around in a daze. Glancing down, Max saw a bloodied Victoria lying on the floor with a look of absolute fear on her face. A feeble, shaking hand raised up towards Max, Victoria coughed up blood as she mouthed _Please help me_ as Max looked down at her for a second more before slamming her fist into the face of what had once been Rachel Amber, her fiancé's former best friend. Max felt no sense of relish as she continued putting pressure into her single strike, feeling the already fractured skull crack further from the impact. Rachel flew a couple feet back and began to twitch on the floor, brackish fluid pooling under her head as Max walked up to the twitching form.

"You should have stayed dead," Max said before lifting a leg up and slamming the heel of a boot down into Rachel's destroyed face, feeling her foot touch the floor behind the skull with a wet smack. Taking a moment to breathe, to inhale and exhale air that she didn't need but wanted, Max turned around and ran to where Victoria was now leaning against the bookshelf, an arm wrapped around her bleeding abdomen.

"Is it…is it always like this?" Victoria asked weakly, wincing as she looked up at Max with what Max swore looked like respect, "Do you have shit like this every day?"

Victoria let out a short cry of pain as Max lifted her up and scooped up the bleeding Victoria in her arms with an apologetic look on her face. Kicking at the doors until the swung open and onto the floor, Max sprinted down the hallway and turned in the main thoroughfare only to burst through the broken front doors, a dying Victoria Chase cradled in her arms.

"Victoria, stay awake!" Max yelled as she sped through the trees next to Blackwell. _If I just trace the treeline, I can avoid Arcadia Bay altogether and make it to the hospital with no one seeing us! You can do this, Max! Move!_ Max was running so fast that she felt as though she weren't touching the ground, dividing her gaze between looking straight ahead and glances down at Victoria. Max drew the weakened Victoria's attention when she cursed as they approached a chain-link fence that ran perpendicular to the direction they were going. Max tightened her hold on Victoria as she sped up.

"Hold on!" Max said to Victoria as she leapt up at a nearby tree and drove her heel into it, feeling the small tree begin to fall under the power of her kick. Max watched from the corner of her eye as Victoria looked at her with eyes wide open while Max ran across the length of the tree and bounced off of it to land on the top of the fence before sprinting off of it.

Barely landing on the ground, Max broke into as fast a sprint as she could manage, feeling her stomach churn as the energy she was burning up begin to be replaced with an increasing hunger. Max looked down at Victoria and nearly stopped in shock as the dying girl looked up at her with a faint smile. _She must be delirious or something. It's so weird to see Victoria smile, like inhumanly weird. Ew…?_

Max felt her phone vibrate and the surprise nearly caused her to topple over mid-step before she caught her balance and tightened her hold on a wincing Victoria. _Probably Chloe. Oh, fuck, how am I going to explain_ this _? Ughhhhhh._ Dashing towards the source of illumination up ahead, Max leapt onto another tree and bounced off in an adjacent direction as she saw that it was a street light for a road leading towards the hospital. Now having something to go in in terms of direction, Max pushed herself one more time and felt blood trickle out of her nose as her efforts began to push her to the limit. _I hope I don't get a migraine in the middle of this_.

 **Now**

Max exited the restroom, her knuckles bleeding as a nurse went in to see what the source of the noise had been. Clutching at a garbage bag filled with her dirty clothes, Max felt numb as she walked over to the front desk and asked to use the phone. Watching the cordless touch-tone phone lift up from its place under the counter to rest right in front of Max, Max didn't register the nurse that had set the phone down. Hearing another nurse come up from behind her to ask if she was okay, Max yanked back her slightly-injured hand from the nurse's grip with a low growl as she picked up the cordless phone and walked over to a space along a wall that had no clutter. Sliding against the wall into a sitting positon, Max dialed in the number for Chloe's phone and heard it ring only two times before the receiver on the other end clicked open.

"Hello?" Chloe asked, Max noticing that she sounded a little nervous.

"Hey," Max weakly said, looking up at the ceiling as her mind raced too fast for her to catch up.

" _Max?!_ Ohmygod, where are you? I've been trying to fucking get you on the phone for hours!" Chloe shrieked through the phone, making Max wince.

"Che, calm down. I'm okay. Tired, a little beat up, but okay," Max said, as she heard her fiancé sob on the other line.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"I…my phone is busted, I think. It won't let me open up calls or anything. Sorry."

"Max…the caller ID for your number is reading as the hospital. _What happened_?" Chloe asked, her voice trembling.

"Are you sober enough to come over here?"

"Yes."

"Then get over here. It's…it's a long story…," Max said, switching off the phone as she dropped it on the floor and slumped her shoulders in fatigue. _We are fucked._

 **Author's Note –**

 **So, how about that time there's blood and broken doors at Blackwell, huh? Good times, good times.**

 **On a personal note, I would like to bring up the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1 (800) 273-8255. My family is going through some pretty intense stuff right now, and I just want to repeat my statement from the chapter with Kate nearly committing suicide.**

 **If you're hurting, you're not alone. Don't let your feelings, the pain, decide for you when you're done. The number listed above is there for a reason, and the people will listen.**

 **Read, Review, and I'll see you in Chapter 15.**

 **Stay hella – Dog knows I'm fucking trying.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Mind over Matter, from the song by** _ **Pvris**_ **(I was listening to the acoustic version because Max Caulfield and acoustic guitar reasons)**

 _Max was running through the woods, frantic as she felt the blood saturate her clothing. Panting desperately, Max felt her lungs seize as she was unable to catch her breath and fell to the ground with the dying girl that had she had been holding onto falling ahead of her in a tangled mess of broken bones and tattered clothing. Sniffling, her face covered in blood and mud from the rain, the endless rain, Max dragged herself forward as she reached to pull the rasping girl to her. Pulling at the girl's shoulder, Max turned her around to see Victoria Chase staring at her with eyes fading as the last spark of life escaped her._

 _"No!" Max cried, squinting as a bolt of lightning illuminated the forest so intensely that she had to shield her eyes. Opening her eyes slowly, Max saw the prone form in front of her begin to take focus as her eyes adjusted and Max screamed. The body before her was no longer Victoria's, but rather Kate's. A small, slender hand reached out only to brush its fingers on Max's cheek before the last gasps of air began to escape from Kate's small form. A single weak smile a moment before dying in front of Max, Kate's head lay down as though she were taking a long-needed nap. Max watched in terror as the girl seemed to_ change _before her, and Max slid herself back as the bleeding form of her fiancé began to crawl after her._

 _Sickened, yellow eyes glowing in the dark of night, Max felt her heart thunder as a feral Chloe Price hissed at her while scrambling after her, her hands clawing at the air before clawing on the ground to move towards Max._

 _"Chloe, no. C-Chloe…please, please no," Max uttered, her voice so weak and saddened that her words almost came out as a whisper. Feeling something brush against her feet, Max looked back to see that she was backed up against a fence before looking forward to see Chloe's hissing face mere inches away from her own. Ratty blue hair, torn up clothes that_ looked _like they had once been the attire Max remembered so well, Chloe smiled with a mouth of blackened gums and yellow fangs._

 _"Chloe…_ please _," Max begged, looking for a hint of reason before screaming as Chloe plunged her fangs into Max's neck. Max writhed in pain and fell the ground fall away from under her body, falling through the hole of rotted and weakened floor boards back in Seattle with Chloe Price latched onto her neck. Max felt blood pour down her neck as Chloe pulled back and looked at Max with a bloody mouth and teary blue eyes._

 _"God, Max, I'm so sorry. Max. Max!"_

"Max! Hey, Max! Snap out of it!" a voice said, Max thrashing about as she woke up on the hospital floor, having nodded off, her arms raised in defense as she looked up and saw a worried Chloe Price looming over her. Seeing the look of concern on her fiancé's face, Max felt her lip tremble before breaking into a horrified sob, wailing as the nightmare and what happened at Blackwell hit her in the forefront of her mind. Not caring about the looks the nurses were giving her, Max just sat on the floor with her arms hung loose at her sides and bawled her eyes out, Chloe quickly dropping down to latch onto her precious Max in a fiercely protective hug.

"Leave us the fuck alone!" Chloe snapped at the approaching nurse, trying to get the crying Max to calm down only to flinch at the look of menace on Chloe's face, "What happened?!"

"She came in with a bleeding girl who had sustained massive trauma. The girl is in the ER right now being treated, your friend there had something of a break down in the restroom down the hall. She shattered the mirror only to go back in a few minutes later and start screaming. We tried to get her to calm down, but all she wanted to do was sit there so she could have a good view of the doors leading outside," the nurse said, taking a step back as Chloe pulled a catatonic Max up to her feet.

"Just stay back," Chloe said adamantly, sweeping an arm behind Max's legs so that she was carrying Max like she had been when they were fooling around at Blackwell as she looked down at Max with remorse, "She shouldn't have to deal with this shit. D'you hear?! She shouldn't have to deal with _any_ of this shit!"

"Miss, I need you to calm down-"

" _Shut up!_ " Chloe snapped, storming away as Max reflexively curled up next to Chloe, her tears turning red as they continued to flow, "Max…"

Chloe saw two police officers approach and Max distantly registered Chloe barking at them as they tried to talk to Chloe and herself. _My body feels like it weighs tons. I can't move my arms or legs. Can I move my head, can I at least tilt it up so that I can see?_ With effort, Max tilted her head up so that she could see Chloe. Heated and red in the face, Chloe didn't utter a word when the police officers had let her through, but froze when she was out the door in the pouring rain. Looking down at Max before stepping out from under one of the awnings running along the hospital's front side, Chloe nearly cried when she saw Max looking back at her with wide, discerning eyes. Chloe had to lean herself against the hospital's exterior to prevent herself from falling as her legs began to buckle, having been terrified until a moment ago that Max had withdrawn so deep inside herself that she may never come out.

"Max?" Chloe asked softly, craning her neck down so that her forehead was bumping Max's, their eyes inches apart, "Max, talk to me. _Please_."

"…Che…," Max rasped, her throat to sore from crying and her thoughts too jumbled from all the screaming she was unleashing in her mind, "I-I-I-"

"I'm here, Max," Chloe said as she felt hot tears sting her eyes, "Your Lovely is here. The police told me I could take you home so I'm taking you home."

"Home?"

"O-our apartment. Do you remember our apartment?" Chloe asked, choking out a laugh as she saw Max respond with a weak, but sarcastic look as she mouthed _Really?_ "You're not allowed to scare me like this for, well, for-fucking-ever, Caulfield. Understand?"

"…try…try my best…," Max said before passing out, too tired, hungry, and too much in pain to be able to stay conscious.

"Shit," Chloe said as she pushed herself off the wall and out into the icy rain, her teeth clenched as her already-soaked pajamas became saturated with water while she ran to her truck with the small shape that was Max Caulfield in her arms.

Chloe kicked open the apartment door, having slung Max over her shoulder once she had pulled the seemingly frail girl out from the truck's passenger side through her open driver's side door. Shaking from the cold and her saturated clothes, Chloe gently laid Max down on the bed before hastily stripping her wet pajamas off in favor of a dry set. Max's eyes fluttered open and she looked as Chloe stood in the bathroom doorway with a fresh set of pajamas as she was toweling her hair dry. Chloe's whole body spun as she stared at Max, her heart visibly breaking from the bedridden girl's feeble whisper of "Che?"

Max weakly began to sit up only to knocked over as Chloe came running at the bed from where she had been toweling her hair off, landing on the bed with such force that Max was momentarily pinned under Chloe's prone weight. Max felt a rush of warmth as Chloe laid on top of her, Chloe's arms and legs wrapping underneath Max's body so that she had Max in a sure grip. _That heartbeat…I know it, it's so familiar_ , Max thought as she began to come out of her fogginess, feeling like she had been dragging herself through mud in her head.

Max tilted her head so that her face was partially buried in Chloe's neck and leaned up as much as she could so that she could signal to Chloe that she was awake by nuzzling into the other girl. Chloe reacted instantly, sitting up as she slid her legs out from under Max. Moving to sit next to Max, Chloe brushed at her coppery brunette hair and pelted Max's face with several gentle kisses. Max felt Chloe's tears fall from shut eyes onto her own face as she looked up at Chloe while her fiancé rested her head on Max's for a moment, taking in fast breaths of air.

"Jesus, Max," Chloe exhaled, "Don't…don't do that again!"

"I'll…," Max said, feeling squished as Chloe laid on top of her again, "I'll try not to. Chloe, can I…can I sit up now?"

Chloe sprung off of Max again, leaning down only to help Max sit up. Helping Max scoot back, Chloe took a seat next to Max after setting a pillow behind the other girl while Max leaned against the wall behind their bed. Max slowly opened and closed her eyes, confused and tired, but cognizant of where she was and who she was with. Looking over at Chloe, Max lifted up a slightly trembling hand and felt Chloe take it and place it on her cheek. Max smiled faintly as Chloe rubbed her cheek against the proffered hand. Max's smile faded as the nightmare she'd had in the hospital came flooding back to her, surprising Chloe as she pulled at her hand to cup her own face with both hands.

"Max…?" Chloe asked, leaning over to place an arm across Max's shoulders, "Max, what is it?"

"I…I need to tell you something, but I'm afraid of how you'll react," Max said, her tone cautious as she carefully spoke each word. Feeling Chloe respond by taking one of her hands and cupping it between her own blue-nailed hands, Max looked over at her.

"Victoria Chase has been following me around the past night or so," Max said, not taking her eyes off of Chloe, "She _knows_."

"Uh, wow. Did you do your…hyno-whatever?" Chloe asked, her tone and face neutral as she tried to exude calm that Max desperately needed.

"Didn't get a chance. She was attacked tonight while I was searching through Blackwell. I…I dragged her along because I was afraid that she might t-tell-"

"Shhhhh," Chloe cooed, brushing some of Max's hair behind her ear as the young vampire struggled to get the words to come out of her mouth, the words she had been trying to say since she started talking.

"I…I brought her with me, to the library, and found…I found Rachel, Chloe. I found Rachel Amber."

Chloe slowly pulled her hands back to wrap them across her stomach, Max terrified at the sudden lack of physical touch between them as memories of all the times that Chloe had withdrew from her since she came back to Arcadia Bay sprung to mind. _'I need you, Chloe.' 'This…this is just too much, Max.' Please, Che, don't hide away from me. You promised you wouldn't, you told me you loved me and fucking asked me to marry you! Don't go!_ Max stretched her arm out so that her hand was resting on one of Chloe's knees, her body feeling like cement was flooding her veins as the strength she had conserved was expended in that one movement. Chloe looked up at Max and Max herself nearly began to cry again at the sorrowful state Chloe looked to be entering.

"…I'm not going anywhere, Max," Chloe said, a saddened smirk playing across her lips as she placed a hand on the one Ma had offered, "This is just hella nuts. Did Rachel attack Victoria?"

"…Yes…"

"And you had to kill Rachel to save Victoria, didn't you?" Chloe asked, her tone neutral but the words making Max feel like it was a subtle accusation.

"…Yes…," Max said with a moment's hesitation before her will began to reassert itself, "You…knew…that this was c-coming," she finished saying, sitting up more straight as she made to pull her hand back before feeling it being clutched at by a larger, slightly rougher one. Max looked over at Chloe and saw that the other girl was grasping at Max's hand with a desperate look on her face.

"I knew this would eventually happen," Chloe said, a bitter laugh escaping her lips, "Before we made up, back to when Rachel popped up and you two fought outside. I knew plain-as-day that it would come down to her having to be stopped."

"Che, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I _do_ , Max. I saw the look on your face a moment ago, how scared you were…still are…and I need to be straight with you. I saw this coming the second Rachel reappeared the way…the way _it_ did, and I knew how this was going to end. I just refused to accept it at the time. I refused to believe that after being friends for years that it would come down to two people I love fighting it out until only one of them is standing. That's it, that's all I have to say. I don't really want to fucking talk anymore."

Max leaned over in Chloe's direction and tugged at Chloe's chin so that she looked up into Max's eyes. Weakly opening her arms, Max felt Chloe shift around in her seat on the bed before crawling over to slip into Max's outstretched comfort. Lying back as gently as her body would allow, Max felt the thunder in Chloe's chest and began to hum. Trying to calm each other, Chloe listened to the rhythm for a moment before chiming in with the lyrics to accompany Max's humming.

 _Hey there, Delilah_ _  
_ _What's it like in New York City?_ _  
_ _I'm a thousand miles away_ _  
_ _But girl, tonight you look so pretty_ _  
_ _Yes you do_ _  
_ _Times Square can't shine as bright as you_ _  
_ _I swear it's true_

Max woke up and it was almost noon, her body barely able to move from the ever-present grogginess and a powerful lack of energy. Looking over, Max saw that Chloe's spot in bed was empty and she began to panic, the memory of Chloe leaving her when she had last suffered something traumatic playing on loop in her head.

"Chloe? Chlo?!" Max cried out, the lethargy in her body making it a chore just to sit up. Max heard the apartment door open and the pitter-patter of bare feet as Chloe came running in from outside, a smoldering cigarette stub held between two fingers.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked, her eyes wide and alert as she prepared herself for the worst.

"Uh…you weren't here when I woke up," Max said, feeling embarrassed at her display of neediness.

"Damn, Caulfield, save the trying to kill me for more…enjoyable hours," Chloe sighed, putting the cigarette butt in an ashtray on top of the dresser opposite the bed, "Are you hungry?"

When Max's stomach replied to the question with a long growl, Chloe smirked before walking into the kitchen and returning with a Styrofoam cup. Shaking her head at it, Max asked Chloe for something a little _bigger_ and the blue-haired wonder returned with her sports bottle onto to be shot down again.

" _This_ enough?" Chloe said as she returned with one of the jugs Max kept in the freezer. Stretching her hands out as her hunger suddenly made her feel very greedy for nourishment, Max quickly snatched the jug out of Chloe's offering hand and didn't even bother to remove the cap.

Popping out her fangs, Max tilted the jug straight up and bit just under the mouth of the container, tearing into it with her teeth. Max looked over at Chloe and saw Chloe just watch her, no expression on her face except a sense of fatigue that Max found was starting to leave her. While not anything like Chloe's blood, the cocktail served its purpose as Max felt stronger with every mouthful. Shaking the jug as she pulled her mouth back, Max swirled the container around for the last drops while Chloe watched her with a look of mild amusement.

"What?" Max asked, feeling energy flood into her system as she set the hollowed-out jug on her bedside table, "Gotta eat."

"Yeah, I get that. It's just so weird sometimes when you do. I've seen you sip, chug, all that. I've never seen you tear into like a beast before, though," Chloe said, feeling a pang of sadness as she saw Max wince at the word "beast".

Chloe's own stomach beginning to growl, Max walked over to the kitchen with Chloe and watched as her fiancé pulled out the cereal only to push the box back into the cabinet it normally resided in. Getting a quirked eyebrow from Max, Chloe shrugged as she pulled out a skillet and a bag of pancake mix. Opening the fridge, Chloe pulled out eggs and milk, setting all her ingredients together next to the small stove-top as she scrounged around the kitchen. Picking up the stool, Max moved it over to the side of the counter facing into the kitchen and took a seat to watch Chloe work on her pancakes.

"You're not going to make them with me?" Chloe said, smirking as stirred the batter together, "Well, a hearty 'fuck you' to add to your morning, then, Max."

"You really want _my_ help?" Max asked incredulously, playing along with Chloe's teasing, "The best I've managed is pouring chocolate chips and-"

Max heard her broken cell phone go off and sighed, wishing that an alert would appear on the caller's phone to let them know she couldn't pick up. _Another one bites the dust_ , Max thought with a chagrin as she mourned the loss of yet another phone. Sighing, Max took a quick look to see who called before promptly opening the back part of the phone's case and pulling out her SIM card. Sliding the chip into an older phone Max had always kept for emergencies, Max made a quick call on the device to her service provider before hearing a _ping_ as a re-activation text was sent to notify her that her phone was in working order. Remembering the phone number from her now-deceased cell, Max dialed the number and put the phone to her ear as she waited for the other side to pick up.

"Arcadia Bay Police, Officer Berry speaking," the male voice said over the line, "Hello?"

"Uh, hi Officer Berry. It's Max. Max Caulfield. I think you called my dead phone. Luckily for you, I have a spare," Max tried to sound cheerful without _too_ much cheer.

"Hey, Max. Yeah, we're going to need you to come down to the police station to answer some questions and to get a statement. How soon can you be here?"

"As soon as you need me," Max said, shushing Chloe as she leaned against the wall across from where Max was standing, "Uh, is Victoria okay?"

"She's stable, but the doctors have moved her into the ICU. There was a lot of blood loss, and she's…well, she's in really bad shape. That's not the only reason we need to talk to you, though. Someone broke into Blackwell late last night and a scooter registered in your name was found about half a mile away. Come down to the station as soon as possible. Bye," Officer Berry said, hanging up the phone as Max's eyes widened while her imagination played tricks on her. _They want to question me? Do they know what happened? Shit, are there security cameras at the school? I didn't even think to look! At least Victoria sounds like she may pull through._

"Bad news, I take it?" Chloe asked, flipping a single pancake on and off the skillet as she leaned against the bathroom doorway.

"Sounds like it. I have to go down to the police station to answer some questions. I left my scooter behind and it sounds like they think it is suspicious, what with Blackwell being a mess after my run-in with…with Rachel," Max replied, still worried about Chloe's possible reactions.

"How bad is it?" Chloe asked, her tempo slowing down as her brow furrowed.

" _Hella_ bad, unfortunately," Max said with a sign, putting a hand to her forehead, "I pretty much had to tear through some doors, and there's a mess in the library. I sprinted straight from there to the hospital, so I didn't have time to do any clean-up."

"What are you going to do?" Chloe becoming very serious as she walked back to the kitchen to put the skillet down, then coming back as Max began to get dressed in a simple grey hoodie, pink shirt, and blue jeans.

"I _have_ to go down to the station," Max said, her voice weary. She needed to sit down and talk to Chloe, who still looked disturbed from last night. _I'm still disturbed from last night. Ugh_. "I don't have any choice if I want to try and not catch any unwanted attention."

"Uh, you just got called in by the fucking cops, dude. That _is_ some hella attention," Chloe said, shaking her head at Max's moment of obliviousness.

"Yeah."

Slipping on a pair of sneakers, Max opened her arms and Chloe came walking into the hug, the two girls squeezing each other as Chloe tried to lighten the mood by dancing around with Max still in her arms. Giggling a little bit, Max kissed at Chloe's jawline and then on the lips as Chloe looked down at her, before detaching herself from the blue-haired girl.

"I have to go. I'll be back soon," Max said, trying to sound optimistic.

"You _hope_ you will, anyway," Chloe replied.

"Che, that is _not even_ _funny_."

Forgetting about her scooter, Max grumbled as she crossed the street to head for the nearest bus stop, not wanting to ask Chloe to come down to the station with her. _She's got things to process, Rachel Amber things, and I don't need to pull her into last night any faster than she is going on her own._ Running after a departing bus, Max managed to flag it down after some desperate hand-waving and climbed up the stairs as the door opened for her. Shooting the driver an apologetic smile, Max dropped in some change for the fare and took the front seat, not bothering to acknowledge the other passengers. Max thought about listening to some music during the ride but remembered that this phone didn't have her music transferred over yet, and Max didn't care much for the internet radio app she had. _I hate those commercials. They break up a song into two or three pieces to let me know about crap I will never buy or listen to or whatever._ Slipping the phone out for other purposes, Max opened the message folder and began to text all her contacts her new phone number, making sure to mention that it _was_ her contacting them in the first place. Watching several small text balloons pop up on the screen, Max switched the phone off and placed it in a hoodie pocket before leaning her head against the window, looking outside as Arcadia Bay slowly crawled along her point-of-view.

Letting her off outside the front entrance of the station, Max watched the bus drive off and turn into another street before going in. She was nervous, not knowing what to expect, and terrified as worst case scenarios popped up in her head. Taking a moment to calm down, Max walked up the steps, trying to exude a calm she didn't entirely feel.

"Hey, Max," Officer Berry said at the front desk as he saw Max walk in, Max smiling at the sight of a friendly face, "Just sit tight. I'll go get the sergeant."

Max watched Officer Berry leave through a door on his side of the front room and flopped into a chair. Rubbing at her temples, Max felt a rush of fatigue hit her as her hunger began to dully return. _I knew that wouldn't be enough. I burned up so much energy last night, I'm surprised I didn't demolish every drop of blood I have in the fridge_ , Max thought as she patted her belly, _Release the Kraken-Max!_ Max's head snapped up and she felt a moment of dizziness as an older man in a police uniform walked up to her and took a seat next to her.

"Hello, Max. My name is Sergeant Wilks. Want to come on back with me? Let's get this all straightened out."

"Sure," Max said, slowly getting up before Wilks caught her, Max's legs getting weak.

"You okay?" Wilks asked, looking at Max with his brow furrowed, his lips thinned into a line that was partly obscured by a white mustache that covered almost all of his upper lip.

"Tired. Didn't really get any rest last night," Max said with a weary smile as she graciously accepted the sergeant's help into the bullpen.

Taking a seat alongside the desk belonging to Wilks, Max looked around and noticed how quiet, how empty it was. _I always figured that it was like the movies and TV, I guess. Police and hard-edged criminals bickering back and forth with a cool-eyed detective breaking up fights just as they were about to start. Law and Order, Arcadia Bay Police is_ definitely _not._ Max looked over at Sergeant Wilks, flashing him a friendly smile and feeling a moment of relief as he returned it before putting on a pair of glasses to read a report.

"You are Maxine Caulfield, correct? Says you grew up here in Arcadia Bay, left with your family when you were thirteen," Wilks read aloud, his eyes scanning the paper as he spoke with a professional tone.

"Max, and yeah my parents dragged me to Seattle," Max replied calmly, pressing a hand to her stomach as it growled slightly. Max grimaced as she looked over at the momentarily bemused Sergeant Wilks.

"I don't know what Berry told you, but this really won't take too long. We'll cut you loose so you can go get some chow, don't worry," Wilks said with a paternal smile before continuing, "Oh, says here you ran away from home. Spent a few years abroad as a, huh, you're a photographer?"

"Yeah, semi-pro. I've had some work published in independent-"

"Uh-huh. So, you came to Arcadia Bay a couple months back with some jobs lined up? I see here that you worked at Blackwell for a time before leaving. What's that about?" Max heard Wilks say with an interested tone in his voice.

"Some of the students thought it would be a good prank to get me suspected of selling drugs on school grounds. One of them admitted that it was a lie, after a bit, but I have no interest to go back to work at a place that has no real trust in me," Max said, folding her arms across her stomach as she tried to look at the report Wilks was reading.

"Mmm, I'd be pretty pissed off, too. Where were you last night, between the hours of 1am to 3am?"

"I was trying to get Victoria Chase, the girl I brought to the hospital, _to_ the hospital. I f-found her…in the woods outside of Blackwell. After seeing her running around out there, I mean," Max sputtered, "God, there was just…so much blood…"

"We'll get to that, don't worry. Like I said, this shouldn't take too long." _You said it_ wouldn't _take too long. Crap, does he know something he isn't telling me?_ "How do you know Miss Chase?"

"She's in the photography class I was assisting with."

"Do you two get along?"

"Not really."

"Oh, but you went after her when you saw her in the woods?"

"Well, yeah, she looked like she was in trouble," Max said, reassuring herself in the half-truth of what she was saying, "I can't _not_ just ignore when someone is running through the woods, looking like they're running _from something_. Am I in trouble?"

"No, no," Wilks said, with Max struggling to not look too relieved in reply, "There was a break-in last night at Blackwell. Pretty nasty mess, and we're just trying to line up a timeframe for the events that unfolded. You're a brave girl, Max, running after Ms. Chase and carrying her to the hospital. You should've called an ambulance right away but it's still pretty commendable. You something of an angel, what with Kate Marsh and now this?"

 _Kinda-sorta more the opposite,_ Max thought as she cleared her throat and smiled feebly. "I just do what I feel is right."

"Mmm-hmm," Wilks said, watching her from the corner of his eye with a small smile, "Well, leave your contact information with us and write down what happened on this statement form. I'll go get you something to keep that stomach of yours quiet. Hope you don't mind donut sticks, s'all that I think is left after the night shift."

Max quietly said "Thanks" and looked down at the empty police form, a tremor in her hands as she reached for a ballpoint pen. Taking a few breaths, Max forced her anxiety down into the recesses of her thoughts and began to elaborate on the half-fiction she came up with for last night. _Obviously, I can't mention that it was a crazed Rachel Amber that broke into the building, or that it was_ me _that left a brackish stain where I killed her shortly after. Something-something, running through forest to save Victoria Chase, something_ , Max thought as she absently recounted events that were partly make-believe. Max quickly glanced down, _Oh Dog, I didn't actually write 'something-something', did I?,_ before sighing in relief at the lack of her thoughts laid out onto the paper.

Wilks returned just as Max pushed the paper away from her, flexing her hand from how tightly she had gripped at the pen. Smirking, Wilks handed her a pastry and a cup of black coffee. Max could smell the staleness of both little gifts but wolfed down both in the hopes of appeasing the seemingly-friendly police officer. Taking the statement and giving it a thorough read, Wilks slipped it into a file folder before leaning on his desk to look over at Max.

"You really are a very brave girl, Max, and I just wanted to say that I'm sure Ms. Chase will think the same when she is well enough to talk," Wilks said, as he fished a set of keys out of his pocket and handed them to Max, "We have your scooter parked in the garage around back. Hope you have a better day than you did a night, Ms. Caulfield."

Slowly climbing out of her seat, Max looked apprehensive until Wilks smiled and gestured towards the way she had come in. Nodding, Max turned around and tried not to walk _too_ fast as she made for the door, being sure to open and close it as quietly as possible. Waving at Officer Berry as she left the station, Max waited until she was down the steps before bolting around the corner to get her scooter. The 'garage' was a fenced-in area behind the station that housed wrecked or impounded vehicles. Showing a sticker that someone had attached to her key ring, a police officer keeping watch at the entrance to the impound led her to where the Vespa sat, leaning against a fence on the far end of the lot.

Slipping the helmet on, finding that it had been stowed in the storage compartment under the seat, Max switched the ignition on and revved the engine a bit. Testing the throttle for a moment, Max gingerly pushed off and slowly made her way out of impound. _Careful, but not too careful. I don't think they're suspicious of me but I can't be for certain._ As soon as Max was back on the street, however, she gassed the engine and took off as she made a beeline for the apartment.

When she arrived, Chloe was gone. Worried at first, Max saw a sticky note attached to the fridge, "2 Whales" scrawled on it with Chloe's attempt at drawing the diner's sign on the tiny piece of paper. Snickering and sighing in relief, Max opened the freezer and pulled out a jug of her cocktail, making sure this time to remove the lid before she drank it all down. Max felt her hunger ease up until it was gone completely as she grabbed the sports bottle and tossed it into the camera bag she had slung over her shoulder when she came through the hallway. Seeing her old Polaroid camera and a sketchbook, Max walked over to Chloe's workstation and snatched a set of fine-tip paint markers, tossing the small case into her bag as well before leaving the apartment.

Two Whales was abuzz with conversation when Max walked inside, the news of Blackwell's break-in on the tips of people's tongues. Flagging down Joyce, Max looked at her confusingly before Joyce nodded her head towards the restroom area. Mouthing an _Ah_ , Max walked over to the usual booth and plopped down in the opposite bench from where Chloe's beanie and jacket lay in a small pile against the wall. Seeing Chloe saunter out of the restroom while wiping her slightly soapy hands on her worn blue jeans, Max fidgeted in her seat until her fiancé was a few feet away before clambering out of the booth to tackle Chloe in an enormous hug. Hearing Chloe chuckle as she felt lean arms wrap her up, Max pressed her face into the fabric of Chloe's black t-shirt and inhaled the scent that she wanted to wake up to every night. She had never felt so glad to see Chloe, looking up to see a bemused expression on the other girl's face. _My Che. Mine. M-I-N-E. Mine._

"How was the clink?" Chloe asked as she and Max took their usual seats, "Did you come back with a bad-ass tattoo? Oh, shit. You have a prison wife now, don't you? Don't you cheat on _me_ , Max Caulfield!"

"Stop," Max said, unable to get the grin on her face to go away, "Ugh, it was so stressful, Chloe. I feel so bad from having to basically lie. To a _police officer_."

"Yeah, because the truth is _such_ a better option. 'Oh, y'know, officer. Vampires and shit out of some Italian gore-core film. The usual," Chloe said, rolling her eyes as she smirked, "How would you even fucking explain that? Damn."

"How are _you_ , Che?" Max asked, reaching over to place her hand over one of Chloe's, "I can't imagine what went flooding through your mind after I left, let alone when I…well…"

"My train of thought kinda derailed for a bit. I tried to keep images of Rachel from popping up in my head, but the idea of you two fighting wouldn't fucking go away," Chloe paused as Joyce came over with two cups of coffee and a menu, smiling warmly at them both before leaving, "I'm not going to say that I'm alright, but I'm also not going to shut you out again, either. You…you did what you had to, Max. I don't have to fucking _like_ it, but I do have to acknowledge it at least."

Max felt like crying, the stress from Victoria and Rachel and _everything_ seeming to collide with the empathy she felt coming from Chloe leaving her somewhat wrecked inside. Wiping at her eyes with a napkin, Max took a sip of her coffee and the two of them just sat in silence for a while. When Joyce returned they both ordered their food, Max a Belgian waffle and Chloe a bacon omelet, and Max slid out of her seat to sit next to Chloe. Leaning against Chloe's taller frame, Max closed her eyes and let herself get caught up in the beat of her love's heart, faint thunderous crashes that swept her mind clean for the moment. Max wanted to be lazy, wanted to just be with Chloe all day. _I can, with Rachel Amber…taken care of. But Victoria, ugh, I feel like I'm spiraling. Ugh!_ Max made a small _humph_ noise, causing Chloe to look down and eye the sleepy vampire.

"Hungry?" Chloe asked, only getting a shake of Max's head in reply, "Tired?"

Max simply nodded, tired of everything that had happened. Everything from the point of her last night as a human being up to present day, save for some recent events, squeezed in on her and she felt herself intake a sharp breath as her nightmare from earlier played through her mind in snippets. Max was about to ask if they could just go home when she felt something familiar. Turning her head slowly, her fatigue getting the better of her, Max watched as Antony entered the diner and proceeded to head straight for them. Too weary to put up a defense, Max said nothing as Antony took the seat she had been occupying before moving over to sit by Chloe. Max felt Chloe stiffen and put a weak hand on her leg to keep her blue-haired wonder from doing something they'd both regret.

"Ripper," Antony said as he sniffed at Max's coffee before steepling his fingers under his chin, "I've come to understand that you've had a busy night. Feel like sharing?"

"The Feral…it's done," Max said, raising her drooping eyes up to glare at Antony, "You said you would stay away…"

"That was before you made a mess of things. Really, trying to keep something like this hush-hush. You've been at it for what, a week? Longer? Never mind that you contacted Stephen first. You could have asked for assistance, and you could have simply told us what was really going on," Antony said, glancing over at Chloe and smiling courteously, "Is this your…?"

"I'm her fiancé," Chloe said, putting on a brave front as she began to put two and two together, "You're the dickbag that put her in that box for a month, aren't you? Antoine or something."

" _Antony_."

"Whatever."

"Please. Just stop," Max said, slamming her hands onto the table with enough force that it garnered the attention of nearly everyone in the diner. Looking around amusedly, Antony watched the other patrons look at them for a moment before returning to their own affairs. Joyce made a move to come over, but Chloe looked at her with a stern glare and shook her head.

"Just leave me alone," Max pleaded, depression and exhaustion eating away at her, "There isn't anything you can do to me that hasn't already been done."

"Not quite."

Antony leaned over and whispered something into Chloe's ear, Max watching as Chloe's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. Max looked at them in confusion, too tired to try and make out what he had said. _Chloe…Please don't listen to him…whatever he's telling you…just stop…_ Max felt her heart implode a little as she saw Chloe begin to cry, silent tears running down her cheeks, as Antony leaned over to Max.

"I want you to turn her, Max. If you turn her, and leave Arcadia Bay, I will leave you be. If you don't, if you are too frightened to do so or you just _love_ this town too much, I will come back and turn every person that you care for. And I will lock them away, just like I did you."

"I-I-" Max stammered, starting to wake up as the terror of what Antony was demanding of her began to send shivers of energy up her body, "I…I don't know how to do that…"

Max looked over at Chloe, her fiancé terrified as Max heard Chloe's heartbeat pound away as Antony slid out of the seat across them.

"This is not up for debate, Max. Do it, or I will do it myself and you will spend your years in agony as they are _all_ locked away," Antony said, putting a $20 on the table, "For your meal. You have until tonight."

Max felt her body begin to twitch as the ramifications of trying to turn Chloe bled into the haze of her own transformation. Max didn't remember much, but Henri had told her the basics of how she had been turned. _You must bring them to the cusp of death, and when they are about to pass that threshold you must offer them a taste of your own life,_ Henri had told her. Max thought it sounded like ridiculous at the time, but there had been a ceremonial tone to his words, like this was something to be taken very seriously. Max looked over at Chloe and saw that she was looking over at Max.

"I can't do it, Che. I couldn't ask this of you, something I never even wanted in the first place," Max said mournfully, feeling as though she had just passed a death sentence on the girl she loved.

"You heard what he said, Max," Chloe said softly, her eyes glistening with tears yet to spill, "He'll turn _everybody_."

"But he doesn't know everyone in town that is important to me."

"My _mom_ , Max. He's been here before, right? He knows about _my mom_."

Max froze, her hands clenching into fists at the idea of Joyce locked away as she had been played across her mind. Worse yet, the idea of Chloe being boxed up in a similar fashion quickly followed. _But I_ can't _do it, Che. I just_ can't _._ Max rose up from the booth slowly, waiting for Chloe to follow. Taking her hand, Max led her out of the diner with a sullen look on her face.

"Max, where are we going?" Chloe asked as they headed into the parking lot by Two Whales, "Max! Max, fucking talk to me!"

"I'm going to kill him," Max said, turning her head to look at Chloe out of the corner of her eye, "When he comes back, I'm going to rip him apart."

"Max, dude's hella strong, and you're fucking drained!" Chloe cried out, grabbing onto Max by the shoulders, "What if you're not strong enough? You don't need to fight him!"

"I will rest up today, and when the Sun comes down I will find him and I _will_ kill him. Even if it costs me my own life," Max said resolutely, fatigue being replaced by a cold anger as the thought of Antony with his hands, his _fangs_ , on Chloe made her want to break something.

Chloe had pleaded with Max the entire drive back, trying to sound excited as she talked about all the cool things they could do as a "sick-as-fuck vampire duo", but Max wouldn't make a single response to Chloe's attempts at dissuading her. Marching up the steps, Max crossed the threshold into the hallway before sprinting inside. Max's hand found its way around the intruder's throat and Max, running on fumes and anger, took a moment for her mind to catch up with her body.

"Stephen?!" Max asked in shock as she quickly put her friend down. Getting a sheepish smile in return, Stephen made hand gestures that Max translated into the door being unlocked and he was concerned about her. Breaking into a sob, Max smashed herself into the burly Irishman's chest with a hug and cried. Hearing Chloe run up the steps, Max disengaged herself from her old friend and walked over to the hallway to hold her hands out for Chloe. Taking them, Max backpedaled into the apartment as she pulled Chloe inside and nodded her head in the direction of Stephen. Max's friend nodded in cheerful greeting and slight embarrassment as he stuck his hand out for Chloe to shake. Looking at Max in confusion, Chloe returned the gesture and shook the large hand with her own slender one.

"You're a friend of Max's, I take it?" Chloe asked, her tone giving away her caution, "You're not here with whats-his-face are you, the British dude?"

Max watched Stephen's eyes look down for a moment before looking at Max in apology. Pulling out his phone, Max watched Stephen as he began to rapidly type before pressing down on the screen a final time.

"He left me no choice," an electronic voice said from Stephen's phone as quickly began to type again, "Maeve was concerned after you texted me and asked him for advice. She's not always the cleverer person between us. I'm sorry, Max."

"…It's okay. I mean, _it's not_ , but that's not your fault," Max said ushering the other two people in the apartment towards the living room. Taking a seat next to Chloe, Max put a hand on Chloe's thigh as a gesture of comforting her anxious blue-haired wonder. Seeing the display of affection, Stephen typed at his phone again.

"Girlfriends?"

"Fiancé," Max replied, butting her head gently against an anxiously smiling Chloe's cheek, "Did he tell you what he was going to do?" When Stephen shook his head, Max closed her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts before going through the events of the past two days.

Stephen's eyes got watery a couple times as Max, and eventually Chloe, relayed the events that had occurred since Max's time back. Initially wanting to only tell Stephen what Antony had said, as time was of the essence, Chloe had begun to elaborate on Max's time back in Arcadia Bay. Their old love, their new love that had grown out of the old, Chloe bared everything to Stephen as Max watched Chloe in shock. Chloe had never talked about their relationship at such length, not ever, but here she was doing exactly just that. While Max was glad it was at least to Stephen, she couldn't help but be a little embarrassed as Chloe rattled on about their time together since she had come back.

"So, um, I need to get some rest. If you two want to keep talking, don't let me stop you," Max said, rising up from the couch as she went over to the fridge and pulled out another jug from the freezer. Max felt eyes on her as she drained the contents and tossed the empty jug into the trash. Not wanting to face either Stephen or Chloe, _Wowsers, I don't think I could look at Chlo right now if I even wanted to,_ Max headed to the bedroom and dropped down onto the bed. She began to feel herself drift away when someone nudged her foot, the bare extremity dangling off the edge of the bed. Looking up with tired eyes, Max saw Stephen watching her expectantly.

"Don't do this," a message read out on his phone's screen before he typed on it again, "I could help you turn her."

"I don't want this for her," Max whispered, "I want Chloe to _stay_ Chloe."

"As if you're not still you from before…" Stephen's screen flashed back.

"Part of me isn't. Part of me is something else now, something that includes these," Max hissed as he popped out her fangs and bared her teeth before retracting the elongated canines.

"But you're still you."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. If you're going to stay and help me, then stay and help. If not, it would probably be safer for you to take off. I'm assuming Antony doesn't know you came down here, so it's your call," Max said, dropping her head onto her pillow and squeezing her eyes shut.

Max felt Stephen hover over her for a minute or two, then heard footsteps as he walked back into the living room and out the door of the apartment. _Staying or going, I'm still likely fucked_. Max woke up from a dreamless sleep, seeing from her phone she had only been out for a half-hour or so, and looked over to see Chloe curling up next to her.

"What's up?" Max asked, her sleep-addled brain momentarily forgetting what was going on.

"…I just want to lay here with you, if that's cool," Chloe said, blushing a little as Max flashed her a sleepy grin.

" _Hella_ cool, Lovely," Max said, yawning as she pushed herself back into Chloe's spooning and fell back asleep.

When Max awoke, the apartment was dimly lit as both girls had been asleep most of the day and afternoon. Getting up from bed, Max looked over to see that Chloe was gone. Her eyes suddenly darting around sharply, Max ran out of the bedroom to take in the horror that the apartment had become.

"Oh, _shit_ …"

Most of their furniture was upended, nothing really broken so much as just knocked around, but the blood on the kitchen floor drew Max's eyes over and Max stumbled numbly towards the blood. Crouching down, Max sniffed at the drying substance and put a finger to it as she took a taste. _Oh, my cocktail. Thank Dog, thank fucking Dog._ Bracing herself against the counter, Max lifted herself up and noticed a neatly handwritten note on the counter.

 _Lighthouse. When you're ready._

Max thought the world was going to drop out from under her, her legs nearly gave way underneath her small weight. Images flashed across her mind: Chloe alive, Chloe slacking off at the junkyard as she tried to remember Max's face because Max had never come back to Arcadia Bay. But with that memory came others, like saving Kate and crying in Chloe's arms as they said how much they loved each other. Max thought of how Chloe had put her bullet necklace on Max, looking at Max's bashful face with her trademark grin as she said "Together forever, Maxaroni."

Max didn't know if she wanted to cry or scream, so she did both. Her small hands clenched into fists, Max slammed them down against the counter until the vinyl-laminated wood splintered and broke from her rage. Still wearing the same clothes from earlier in the day, Max dragged herself out the door and down the steps towards Chloe's truck. Sliding into the driver's side, Max dropped down Chloe's sun visor and snatched the spare set of keys in mid-air. _Great security, Che._ Turning over the ignition, Max looked in the small back area behind the bench seat and pulled out Chloe's pump-action shotgun. Scrutinizing the weapon, Max laid it across her lap and grabbed the bag full of iron buckshot shells before pulling out of the small back lot behind their home.

Max was frantic, panic seizing her as she made her way closer to the lighthouse. Her phone buzzing, Max instinctively pulled it out and saw a text from Dana, _Heard u actually saved VC's life. Heard she's gonna pull through. Wow, ur a superhero!,_ and quickly shut her phone off. While Max felt a bit of relief in Victoria living to see another day, someone far more important was on Max's mind. Max had known Chloe for years, only to disappear for years. Coming back to Arcadia Bay with Chloe in mind, Max had _hoped_ that something might be kindled between them. Her wish had been surpassed by reality, for a change, and Max only wanted for Chloe to be by her side. _Would it really be so bad if I tried to turn her? She wouldn't be like me, making a go of it on her own. I would love her and look after her for as long as both would live. We could actually be adventurers, like we'd imagined from when we were kids,_ Max thought before the image of a feral Chloe Price flashed across her mind, _What if_ that _happens instead, though? What if I do something wrong and she comes out…different, like an animal or a, I dunno, ghoul or whatever? Why can't there be like a freaking handbook or something?_

Pulling into the parking lot at the bottom of the hill, Max opened the door and latched onto it with a hand while she grabbed the shotgun and shells. A wind picking up, Max instinctively had not wanted to make too much noise and opted to gently close the door. The shotgun in one hand and the bag of shells slung across the opposite shoulder, Max proceeded up the hill towards Antony. _And Chloe_.

"I was wondering how long you were going to sleep," Antony said as Max crested the hilltop, standing on the edge of the treeline, "You brought a shotgun? Are you serious?"

Max wanted to snap back, to growl and hiss and tear Antony apart, but when she saw Chloe's unconscious form lying in a heap on the bench, some of her rage simmered into a mess of anxiety. _Chloe's still alive, I can hear her breathing._ Looking back at Antony, Max found that the other vampire had started to move towards her with deliberately slow steps as though he was baiting her. Snarling, Max fired off a shell and watched as Antony easily dodged the shotgun's limited range of fire, coming alongside Max to strike before she returned his dodge with one of her own. Moving to her left, Max leapt up and back as she pointed the ungainly weapon at Antony a second time, feeling the kick as she aimed with one hand while the other clutched at the shells. Seeing him grimace as some of the buckshot connected, Max felt a pang of dread as he began to hiss from the iron burning him. _Crapcrapcrapcrap!_

Max ran back into the woods with desperate speed as Antony pursued her, the only sign of his approach a near-constant growl that was emanating from somewhere behind her. Changing direction every few seconds, Max was trying to loop around the hill so that she would return to the lighthouse from the opposite side which she had first arrived. Feeling something brush across her face, Max watched a rock nearly the size of her head hurtle by her. Flipping in mid-air, Max touched down on the side of a tree and sprung back out as she took the charging Antony by surprise. Fearful of possibly shooting herself as well, Max tilted her head down and connected with the other vampire's sternum, her vision momentarily exploding into stars as she heard a crack inside Antony's chest. Max's brief victory was short-lived, however, as she had failed to take into account how resilient the larger vampire was. Feeling hands latch onto her shoulders, Max felt herself slung across the forest until she impacted with a park sign of Smokey the Bear. Scrambling out of the wreckage in a daze, Max pondered on how often the park service actually changed the signs before Antony was on her again. Max howled in pain as a lengthy iron blade was shoved into her shoulder, the bag it was carrying falling to the ground with a _whump_ as Antony tried to pry the shotgun loose from her other hand. Snapping her forearm, Max howled again before frantically squeezing the trigger.

Round after round hit Antony square in the chest, the other vampire being pushed back from the impact alone as his chest began to sizzle and smoke from the small pieces of shrapnel. Panting, exhausted, Max's fangs popped out as her second wind began to kick in and she ran at the still-reeling Antony only to meet her face with his fist. Knocked back, Max felt her nose begin to bleed and hung her head to the side as she cradled her broken forearm with her other hand. Wincing as both arms were injured, broken bones and an iron knife to the shoulder, Max growled and made another desperate run at Antony. Taking him by surprise from the shock of her still standing, Max slammed a foot in his stomach and heard him grunt in pain as she pushed at the iron-laced wound that was the front of his torso.

Falling to her knees from the effort, Max looked up to see a fist flying at her face again. Max's body swayed as she began to lose consciousness, hearing Antony growl over her in fury.

"I will eat your lover, and I will fucking bury her for the rest of her life after I turn her. She will starve and desiccate in the bottom of the Atlantic and you will _never_ find her. I will bury you after I carve off your limbs and stick you in a hole so dark that if you ever see the light of day you'll scurry _back_ into your hole. I will-"

Antony was cut off as Max lunged at his throat with her bared fangs. Instinct and hatred came over Max in waves and with her numb arms waving at her sides and tore Antony's throat out with her teeth. Spitting up what blood she had in her mouth, Max slammed a foot into Antony's chest over and over. A slight _whump_ beginning to be replaced with a wet crunch, Max was in such a fury that she did not notice the sound of movement from behind her until she paused to see Chloe looking down at her from further up the hill.

" _Max!"_ Chloe shouted, running down the hill as Max looked at her with a dead-eyed stare. Max was too fueled up with her hate, hate for what Antony had done to her both the last time they had been at the lighthouse _and_ what had just gone on between them, so she didn't really register that Chloe was coming towards her at first. Her mind focusing somewhat, Max blinked her violet eyes as she stumbled over towards Chloe only to fall over as Antony tripped her up.

Hearing the other vampire let out a wracked gasp, Max looked in horror to see Antony scrambling to his feet from behind her. Max realized what he was going to do before he made his move, so she turned her head back in Chloe's direction and screamed at the top of her lungs.

" _RUN! CHLOE, RUN!_ "

What happened next felt like slow-motion to Max. Chloe skidded to a halt, slipping and landing on her butt as she made to scramble back up the path to the lighthouse. Antony lurched forward at a surprising speed towards the shambling Chloe. Max forced herself upright and began to stagger towards them both. Max heard Chloe's heart beat in single thunderous booms, watching her love's eyes widen in terror as Antony was almost upon her. A hiss of pain, the faint smell of smoke. Max watched as through what felt like tunnel vision as Antony leaned down to pin Chloe to the ground, hearing Chloe as she screamed.

The iron knife that had been in Max's shoulder was now slammed through Antony's throat as Max clutched at the metal with a smoking grip. Once, twice, and a couple more times, Max pushed the blade in only to pull it out and repeat. Growling as she pulled Antony off of Chloe, Max let her legs give as the force of her weight and the remaining strength in her wounded arm thrust the iron through Antony's chest and look of rage on his face went slack as brackish fluid began to bubble out of his mouth. Looming over him for a second with shaking legs as she stood back up, Max hissed and proceeded to kick the blade further into his chest, her foot the hammer to the iron knife's nail. Not satisfied until she saw what life Antony had in his face diminish into nothingness, Max panted as her injuries began to fully take their toll.

"Max…," Max heard Chloe rasp and Max's life meant all of nothing to her as she looked over to see Chloe gurgling up blood from her mouth, a large tear in her throat covered by an increasingly blood-soaked beanie.

"Nonononono," Max whispered softly, her anger evaporating before the shocking scene in front of her, "Nonononono, Che. You'll be fine. I'll go get help, so please-"

"Max," Chloe said with a weak grin before wincing in pain as she coughed up bloody spittle, "Can I just say…you are _so_ fucking…cool…"

Max reached out with her injured arms, ignoring the pain, as Chloe fell unconscious. Max heard Chloe's heartbeat begin to slow and she began to cry, red rivulets falling down onto her fiance's face. Sobbing uncontrollably, Max took in several breaths of air as their brief life together as a couple flashed before her eyes and Max nearly folded over from the grief.

 _ **No. No, not yet.**_

 _ **You. Can't. HAVE HER!**_

 __Silently praying to whoever was listening, Max snapped her head up and popped out her fangs before plunging her head into the uninjured side of Chloe's neck, her decision finally made.

The lighthouse shone out over the late evening view of the coastline as Arcadia Bay glistened as Max sat on the bench and watched the view with no interest. Wounded, pained, Max absently licked at the blood on her chin as she looked out across the beach far below. She wondered where she would go now, with very little left to tie her to Arcadia Bay. _Maybe I'll go back to Ireland, spend what time I have with Stephen and Maeve before I have to run. Again._ Max let her head droop for a moment before she heard movement from the treeline to the side.

A weak hand scrabbled at the tree trunk that Chloe and Max had carved into years ago as pretend pirates and best friends. Her vision still somewhat dim as she her head was healing from all the blows she had suffered, Max couldn't discern it at first and was afraid for a moment that somehow Antony was still kicking. Moving to get out of the bench, Max's legs gave and she fell off the bench and onto her back, watching the hand grab at the tree trunk. Max's horror turned shock, which in turn became wonder, as she noticed the blue nails on the hand.

Her arms nearly too weak to move, Max sat up against the bench and watched as the hand became a jacketed arm, the arm leading up to torso and head that had a mop of blue hair covering the top of it. Max felt tears begin to roll down her face as her lip quivered while Chloe Price crawled towards her with face downcast. Max wanted to both just stay where she was and scramble away, the vision of a feral Chloe looming in her mind as the form sluggishly made its way towards Max. Max's fate was sealed as a grasping hand caught her leg and Max heard ragged breathing as the form of her dead fiancé began to climb over her before stopping at Max's stomach. Max shivered as the head of blue hair fell onto her tense stomach, Max feeling small gasps of air as whatever it was seemed to rest for a moment. Reaching over to where she had left it by the bench, Max grimaced as she clutched the iron knife and weakly raised her arm to strike down what had formerly been her Chloe.

"I'm so sorry, Che. I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Max sobbed as her arm reached as high as the injured shoulder would allow. Max froze when she saw the head twitch.

A blue hand smacked the ground as the form lifted itself up from where it had rested on Max's midsection, face still obscured. Both panting, Max watched mutely as the creature lifted its head up and stared at Max through its hair-obscured vision. Max dropped the knife when she saw two brightly violet eyes staring at her in a mixture of wonder and confusion.

"…Max…?" a tired, pained voice asked as a pale hand with blue nails reached out for Max Caulfield, "What's going on?"

Max began to shake as she cried, a wellspring of grief giving way to happiness as Chloe continued to look at her in confusion before looking around to see where she was.

"Max, what did you-," Chloe said, her eyes growing incredibly wide as she poked at an elongated canine tooth with her tongue.

"..You're a fucking vampire, Che. Welcome to the club."

 **Author's Note – you may think this is the end, but it isn't. Muahahaha**

 **No, but seriously, it isn't. I'm assuming that you're either giddy as all hell or you're flipping tables at the moment from the ride I just put you through. It had actually been my plan to make Chloe a vampire all along, but I wanted to do it right and not just be all "poof, punk vampire!". So you get this, another gut-punch to your feels.**

 **My family member who is not doing so hot was readmitted to the hospital. I'm actually there, well I'm** _ **here**_ **for me I suppose, and I just wanted to thank those of you who gave well-wishes a heartfelt thanks. One of the reasons I love the LiS community so much is that there are people who take the real-life issues brought up by the game seriously, and seem to genuinely care. So, from the bottom of my heart, thanks. You keep dropping well-wishes and I'll keep you appraised. *weak grin***

 **Read, Review, and I will see you next chapter!**

 **Stay hella…and please don't kill me…I just want to create a story that compels you and makes you feel, that's all…**


	16. Chapter 16

**Love Bites, from the single by Halestorm**

"What?" Chloe Price said as she looked into the eyes of Max Caulfield. _Say again, Max. Did you just say what I think you said?_

"You're a vampire, Chloe," Max had repeated, wincing as she set the bone jutting out of her forearm with a small cry of pain.

Both girls were currently sitting on the bench, though Chloe had been bouncing between sitting and moving around for the past ten minutes. Max was still entranced at the pale, lean figure that was currently seated next to her. Violet eyes and blue hair with pale skin to match Max's own, Chloe Price looked like a vision to her fiancé, a pale flame of blue fire taking in the evening breeze. _Is this normal, to be so turned on right now?_ Max thought as she sidled over to sit next to Chloe before wincing again as her injured shoulder smacked against the back of the bench, _Owowowowowww._ Max knew she had a lot to explain, _'Hella' tons_ , but she had more painful demands at the moment and someone was rather occupied at the moment.

"Chloe," Max said, gritting her teeth as she felt a wave of vertigo from the head injuries, "Can you… _Chloe!_ "

"What? Oh, uh, sorry!" Chloe said, jumping at the serious tone in Max's voice. _Shit! Oh man, she's fucking torn up. She's probably mad, but all this is so fucking cool!_ Watching the moonlight play over the water with her new violet eyes, Chloe couldn't help but be distracted at this new world she found herself in. "It's just…Max, this is _so_ hella sick! It's like this for you every day? Amazeballs!"

"Chloeeee…," Max whined as she realized that Chloe wasn't paying attention. Again. "Can you fucking help me, _please_? You've gotten a beaten-up fiancé sitting over here and you're spacing out?"

 _That got your attention_ , Max thought, as Chloe snapped her head around from where she had been spacing out and looked over at Max with a large pout before she sat back down on the bench and began to look at Max's beaten state. Max immediately felt her heart break a little as she saw Chloe's lip quiver.

"I'm s-sorry," Chloe said, and Max realized the other girl was going to cry. _Fuck, she's mad. She's mad and broken and hurt, while I'm staring off into space. Fuck._ "It's just that so much is different and _I'm_ different and…you saved me, Max. You saved me. Again."

Chloe's tone was apologetic as she began to gently kiss Max on the lips, softly at first, then harder until she heard Max's muffled cries of pain and pulled back. Max was in pain, not just physically. _You may think I saved you, Chloe, but I don't. It was selfish of me, bringing you back by turning you into what I am. Way to go, Max. You're now utterly confused and you have a newly-minted vampire fiancé to take care of._

"Dammit, Che, can you just _stop_ for one second and help? Can you help me up, if only that?" Max asked, her wonder at Chloe's new state of being turning into an irritation at the near-complete lack of caring the other girl was giving her. Chloe seemed taken aback at the refusal of affection from Max, lowering her head with a sense of rejection.

"Sorry," Chloe said, her head downcast as she gingerly helped Max up and they began to walk down the hill, "It's just-"

"I _know_ ," Max said with a sigh as she regretted having snapped, "Everything is bright and shiny. I've been there so I know how that is. But I nearly died, too, and I'm damn near in fucking pieces while you're spacing out on a vampiric high." Max grumbled as she thought of how much of a beating she had taken just so Chloe can all but ignore her at the moment.

"Are you mad?" Chloe asked, worry in her voice as she looked over while continuing to help Max down the hill, "It's not like I'm intentionally blowing you off, dude. It's just…wow. Just wow."

"Not mad, Chlo. Just…impatient, and _really_ hurting. Che, I will answer any questions that I _can_ answer, but I need to heal. I need to _feed_ , and you will need to as well. Like, really soon," Max said as she pointed to Chloe where the truck sat only to wince from lifting her arm too high.

"Can't we just do the super-speed thing?" Chloe asked before cringing under Max's glare, "Oops. Sorry." _God, Chloe, why don't you just make things worse. Max is already beat up and pissed. Why not just kick it up to eleven?_

"Do _not_ treat this like it's a toy, Chloe Elizabeth Price," Max uttered in a commanding tone, garnering another wince from Chloe _You may not want to hear it, but it needs to be said because_ I know you, _Chloe Price_.

"Sorry, Max."

"Stop _saying_ sorry for a moment and just let me in the truck, please?" Max asked in exasperation. _I can't handle her right now_ and _heal at the same time. Oh crap._ "Wait."

Max looked over at Chloe who had frozen still, keys half-inserted into the ignition as she turned her head to look at Max. Each girls felt hesitant towards the other, and while their reasons were different the degree of growing awkwardness between them was presently the same.

"…Are you going to yell at me again?" Chloe muttered, her voice heartbreakingly sad.

"No, I'm not going to yell," Max let out in exasperation, "I just realized that we may be out of blood back at the apartment. There was a smear of my mixture on the floor in front of the fridge, and I never bothered to-"

"Oh, that was me. Sorry," Chloe blurted out, looking away in embarrassment as Max's brow furrowed. _Shit, Max, no more glaring. Please?_ "I was messing around in the kitchen and knocked a Styrofoam cup over. I was going to clean it up, but the next thing I knew I was sitting up on the hilltop."

"…Well, if we're lucky there is enough for both of us. At least, for tonight anyway. Maybe leftovers for tomorrow." Max sighed, too tired to chide Chloe again and really just not wanting to yell anymore. "Drive us home?"

"Like you need to ask twice," Chloe said with a smirk as she turned over the ignition. _I hope she doesn't stay like this too long. An actually "Mad" Max is not the best Max._

"I had to ask you twice to help me out on the hilltop…"

"I _said_ I was sorry, Max!"

"You _are_ sorry, Chloe Price!" Max smirked as she saw Chloe's jaw drop for a moment before smirking herself, the brief gulf that had divided them closing itself up.

"Ugh!" Chloe groaned before looking at Max from the corner of her eye. "…I totally just walked right into that, didn't I?"

"What do _you_ think?"

"Shaddup."

The apartment was completely dark, but neither Max nor Chloe needed lights to see anymore. Two pairs of glowing violet eyes peeking around the corner where the hallway led out into the apartment, Max weakly stumbled over to the fridge with assistance from a still-apologetic Chloe. Letting Chloe open the freezer door, her arms feeling increasingly stiff, Max told her fiancé to pull out the last two jugs and set them on the counter.

"Get three straws and connect them to each other, please." Max directed Chloe, nodding her head towards the silverware drawer as she leaned against the counter and panted from the exertion of moving while wounded so badly. _Wowsers, I feel like shit. Never been beaten like this. Ugh, I feel like I'll fall to pieces if someone were to walk in right now sneeze on me._

Puzzled, Chloe nodded and simply did as Max said. Returning with the lengthy combination of straws, Max bit down on the end Chloe offered with the left corner of her mouth as she popped out her fangs and punctured the top of the jug with a fang from the right side of her mouth. Max looked over at Chloe, who was watching intently, and opted to not complain about Chloe spacing out again.

Wiggling her fang around a bit to make the hole larger, Max retracted the fang and slid the long sequence of straws into the jug carefully until she was satisfied that it was near the bottom. Hungry and in desperate need of healing, Max took a huge slurp from the straw and felt her body flood with renewed energy as mouthful after mouthful of blood ran down her throat. Slowly flexing her hands as a tingling sensation began to worm into her injuries, Max felt the set bone in her forearm begin to mend. Lifting the arm up carefully, Max turned and slid the other jug in front of Chloe.

"Drink up," Max urged Chloe between gulps, noticing that Chloe's eyes had turned back into their brilliant shade of blue as she looked at the full jug with trepidation, "Awww, can't get your fangs out?"

" _Now_ who's being a brat?" Chloe asked with a grunt before Max walked around the kitchen counter to plant a wet kiss on Chloe's lips. Max felt Chloe's tongue slide into her mouth almost immediately as the taste of blood in Max's mouth gave credence to Chloe's hunger. "Oh, that was… _hella_. That was hella." _What was that? It was_ so _good, Max has never kissed me like that before and it's like her tongue had a fucking current of electricity along it._

Feeling her broken arm continue to heal as a soft _pop_ came from her forearm, Max wiggled it a bit and winced one more time as the freshly-healed bone adjusted to its re-formed state. Taking Chloe's hand, Max walked her over to the living room while holding the full jug in the other hand. Taking a few moments to re-situate the toppled furniture, going slowly because her arms were still healing and her head was still somewhat fuzzy. Pushing Chloe onto the couch, Chloe's giddiness and playfulness from earlier began to rub off on Max as her body continued to heal and her head began to clear up. Max's burst of new energy reached its peak when she saw Chloe's fangs pop out after she sat on Chloe's lap.

"Chloe Price, is this turning you on?" Max asked, whispering in her newly undead lover's ear, "Y'know, _every sense is heightened when you're a vampire. Every sensation, every…touch…"_ Max couldn't help but giggle as Chloe shivered when Max nibbled on Chloe's ear, running her own fangs gently along Chloe's neck before sitting back up. _My turn to tease. Muahahaha, or something like that._

"Oh Jesus, oh shit, oh holy fuck," Chloe said, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as the sensation of Max's teasing felt like it had exploded into something a hundred times stronger than anything she had felt before.

"You've got to control it, Che. Your emotions, your feelings, they all get _really_ strong," Max said, her playfulness replaced with somewhat apologetic tone, "I shouldn't have teased you. Look, there _is_ fun, and there will be time for play, but there is also the risk of losing yourself to it. Trust me when I say you don't want that."

"But what if losing yourself _is_ fun…?" Chloe begged, biting her lip as she looked up at Max. _Let's cut loose right now, nerd!_ Chloe made to flip their positions, but was surprised when Max slammed her back down onto the couch with a surprisingly strong hand, "Dude, what the-"

"Chloe, do you even grasp how much I have to hold back so that I'm not discovered? Do you want to get wrapped up in chains and left in a box on the ocean floor like I was? I came back to Arcadia Bay because I love you. _You_ are what keeps me in check," Max said, her eyes not leaving Chloe's, "I can't be with you if you're going to just go bat-shit with everything. Not just because I wouldn't like it, but also because it wouldn't be _safe_."

Max watched Chloe's face change, from irritation to worry, a worried look speading across Chloe's face as Max moved from a sitting to a straddling position.

"Do you still love me?" Chloe asked in a sober tone. _You've given me a stern talking to before, but I'm just goofing around, dude. Lighten up!_

"…Of course," Max said with an incredulous look, "Why would you even ask me that?"

 _Oh, shit_ , Chloe thought as she realized that _now_ was not the right time to ask something like that. _Fuck, you've really done it now, Chloe! Good job on hella ruining the fucking moment! Ugh._ Chloe opened her mouth to speak, but only frowned and furrowed her brow as she realized that she couldn't come up with anything to dig herself out of the hole she had just made.

Max looked down at Chloe in mild shock, realizing the other girl was serious in asking that question. _Is that…is that_ shame _? What is going through your head, Chloe Price? What would give you reason to ask me that? Yeah, I'm kinda being harsh. It happens when you pretty much kill your fiancé and then bring her back to life as the one thing you didn't want her to be._

"Chloe, how could you ask me something like that?" Max asked again as she poked Chloe in the chest with her finger, her voice betraying the sudden hurt she felt at such a question blatantly thrown at her. "I brought you back to life when _I_ was the one opposed to turn you into a vampire in the first place."

Chloe squirmed in her seat, not used to such a commanding and intimidating presence out of little Max Caulfield being directed at herself. _I've seen you act like this to Nathan and Frank, but it is something hella different to experience it. No wonder they were fucking terrified._ Chloe felt the excitement she had felt at being able to share in Max's world with her fading before the disapproving eye of her angered fiancé.

"Is this how you're going to be now, now that I've done _this_?" Max asked, gesturing at Chloe.Max watched Chloe practically melt under her gaze, but didn't even blink as she just continued to stare as Chloe finally spoke.

"Max…," Chloe said with a whimper as she looked away as Max just stared at her. _What do I say? What do I say when you're making that face and my heart is breaking, Max?_

"You going to answer me?" Max asked with a hand on her hip.

"Um, I'm kinda hungry," Chloe blurted out, instantly regretting every word as Max eyed the jug she was still holding. _Fuck! Why did I say that? I mean, I_ am _hungry, but…Goddamnit!_ Max's irate face was enough to make Chloe look down at her feet again, the playfulness gone from the smaller girl entirely.

"Ugh. Go fuck yourself, Chloe," Max growled. Throwing the jug into Chloe's chest with contempt as she stormed out of the apartment, Max didn't care at the moment that Chloe was remorsefully calling after her as the all the emotions Max felt from the night came to a collective boil.

Her shoulder still feeling stiff and the forearm of her other arm tingling as both injuries were newly healed, Max thanked Dog that they weren't bullet wounds before she sat down. Alone on the roof of the apartment building, Max played the past couple hours through her head over and over again. Thinking of the Chloe who had come running down the hill, all wide-eyed and loving, Max couldn't help but think of the Chloe inside the apartment building as something of an oddity.

 _Stop that! This is Chloe you're thinking about, Max! Your Che, your_ fiancé _! But…I don't think I was like that. Was I? She's all aloof and shit-and-giggles, doesn't seem to care at_ all _about what happened or, well, me. Then again,_ _my initial experience as a vampire was…not the best. I don't even remember some of it, I had to be told because I was in such shock._ Max tilted her head back and vented with a throaty " _UGH!"_ as she looked out to Arcadia Bay at night, the wind from earlier having turned into a pleasantly chilly breeze. Max heard the apartment door open from where she was sitting, but didn't budge as she heard Chloe climb up. _She doesn't know anything, how to push her new strength or agility._ I'll _have to teach her everything I know. Did I do the right thing, or am I just being selfish?_

"Max…," Chloe said in a soft voice, "Will you please talk to me?"

"I don't know, Chloe," Max shot back, not looking at her, "Will you actually talk to me or say more hurtful things?"

Max turned her head to see Chloe kicking at the roof with the toe of a boot, her head down as she looked like she was about to cry. Max felt her emotions churn and stood up from where she was seated, turning the rest of the way so she was facing a dejected Chloe.

"What, Chloe?" Max asked, trying not to sound upset. She failed. _Goddamnit, Chlo, don't do that. Now I feel like crap._

"Why are you mad at me?" Chloe asked sullenly.

"Because you go…you go from practically dead to newborn vampire and it feels like the first thing you're going to do is take a huge crap on _us_ ," Max said as stood up, her fears getting the better of her, "I was broken on the hilltop and all you _fucking_ cared about was how pretty everything looked. _I_ wasn't feeling very pretty, Chlo! I fought to the point that I could hardly move my arms, I stabbed and killed someone with a knife that I pulled from my own injury, and you're off in your own little dream world. I did _all of that_ , dealt with all of it, _for you_." Max gestured for Chloe to stop as she began to walk towards Max with a heartbroken look on her face.

"I saved you, but I brought you into a world that I don't even want to be a part of," Max said, her voice cracking as she fought to keep her anger and pain away when brought before the face of Chloe's crestfallen look, "I'm afraid that you're going to be totally different, okay? I'm never going to hear your heartbeat again, never feel the warmth of your skin against mine, and it's _killing_ me that I took those things from you. You might have been dying but at least you still had some human life in you! I-I'll never have that… _and I took yours from you!_ " Max's churning feelings got the better of her and she put her hands to her face as she began to cry.

Max fell to her knees, both mourning what she had done to the blue-haired girl moving towards her and celebrating that was still with her. Initially slapping Chloe's reaching arms away with a whining sob, Max eventually capitulated after a few more attempts by Chloe because she was simply too tired of fighting and too lonely. Max felt Chloe's arms wrap around her body as Chloe shushed and gently rocked her, humming as Max continued to cry. Max longed to hear a heartbeat that would never come again, and choked back a bitter laugh that now it was _her_ that had to deal with her significant other being a vampire.

Pulling her head back, Max looked up and saw the sorrow on Chloe's face, the fear of losing Max renewed in the face of this massive change in their lives. _Shit_ , both girls unknowingly thought simultaneously. Max sniffled as Chloe leaned her forehead against Max's and her own tears spilled onto Max's face.

"What are you thinking?" Max asked, a little hesitant to speak after her outpouring a moment before.

"How much I love you, Max. Every time I've needed you there you've been, fighting for me. I'm sorry for being so out of it on the lighthouse earlier. I didn't mean to ignore what had happened to you, or what happened in general, dude. It's just that…Max, I _am_ different. I'm still _me,_ but everything is so new, y'know? It's not just the sensations that get stronger; it's like my all my emotions are turned up to eleven and I would have to struggle to breathe if it weren't for the fact that I don't _need_ to breathe," Chloe explained, her voice coming out as a plea while she internally begged for Max to understand, " _I feel everything_ , and it's like I can't keep my feet under me. I'm not trying to push you away or ignore anything with the intent of withdrawing into myself; I'm brand-spanking new, Chloe two-point-oh, and what I really need right now i-is the reassurance that you still love me because I'm so fucking scared right now and I don't want _us_ to change."

Max felt what was left of her irritation fade away as she regretted her hostility from before. _We were both in our own worlds, expecting the other person to support us when we were oblivious to what was happening with one another_ , Max thought as she cupped Chloe's cheek and felt a small measure of relief as Chloe closed her eyes and placed a hand over Max's while tears ran down both of their eyes. Max leaned her forehead into Chloe's, softly head-butting the blue-haired girl as she let out a small giggle. Her eyes closed, Chloe grinned in contentment as Max gently pulled the other girl into an embrace, laying Chloe's head on her shoulders as they held each other on the roof of their building.

Having stayed up on the roof together for a couple hours as they both needed to calm down, Max and Chloe both realized they were going to have to rediscover each other and themselves in light of this massive change to their world. Pausing in their discussion to just enjoy the quiet, Max had snickered when Chloe's stomach growled, finally getting to know just what that embarrassing hunger looked like when Chloe bashfully turned her head away. Holding her sides, Max had laughed uncontrollably for a few minutes as Chloe pouted and muttered "Oh, shut the fuck up" which only exacerbated Max's enthusiastic laughter.

Leaning on an elbow, Max hovered over the disgruntled Chloe until she reluctantly turned her head to face Max. Giving Chloe a soft, loving kiss, Max pulled away and sniggered a moment to see more and more of the Che she loved resurface from the haze of what Max had called "Newborn Baby Vampire Syndrome". Chloe's response of "Ugh" had only further encouraged Max's teasing. Hopping up, Max gestured for Chloe to stay put before heading across the roof and dropping onto the landing below. Chloe curiously lifted her head up only to become startled as Max returned from the other side barely five seconds later.

"How'd you do that?" Chloe said, sitting up as she looked at the direction Max left before looking over to where Max had come from, "Better yet, how do _I_ do that?"

"I slipped out the window, vaulted up the rest of the way in a jump," Max said, shrugging nonchalantly as she popped open the jug, "You didn't feed."

"…I didn't want to. You were upset and, well…," Chloe said crossing her arms as she looked away from Max. _Though I_ am _hungry. Stupid stomach, stupid blood. Hella stupid._

Feeling a finger hook around her chin, Chloe couldn't help but grin as Max pulled her around so that they were facing each other. _Aww, Goddamnit Max. Don't do shit like this when I'm sulking. You're so fucking adorable._ Chloe watched Max as she moved next to her and sat in a cross-legged position. Seeing the mischievous look on Max's face, Chloe knew Max was up to no good as the brunette an eyebrow and popped the lid off the jug. Max chuckled as Chloe's fangs involuntarily popped out at the smell of blood, Chloe only feeling hungry and chagrined at the involuntary action her body made in front of her fiancé. _Traitor!_ Chloe thought to herself in embarrassment before feeling Max rest a hand on her knee.

" _Relax_ , Chloe. That happens when you're new," Max said, adding "You big, blue-haired baby" to Chloe's increasing chagrin.

"So I'm finally not a 'fragile little flower'? You have a new means of verbal torture now?" Chloe asked with a snarky tone, irritated at being the butt of so many jokes since they had both come up to the roof.

"Oh, you'll _always_ be that. You're just this now, too," Max chuckled, running a finger along the inside of the jug's mouth.

Chloe involuntarily gulped as she watched Max pull out a bloody finger, _What the fuck are you up to, Max Caulfield?_ running through her mind repeatedly as she began to feel a heat well up from her chest. The tip of her finger coated in syrupy-looking blood, Max wiped the liquid across her lips and pressed them against Chloe's. Teasing her fiancé, Max licked at her own lips between kisses and let Chloe taste the blood on her tongue before breaking the kiss off. Chloe's eyes were still closed after Max pulled away, her lips searching for wherever Max had gone to as Max watched for a moment at the silly but endearing display. _Max, where did you go? That was epic! Do it again!_

"Open your eyes, dork," Max snorted, handing a disgruntled Chloe the jug.

"Awww, but the sexy…," Chloe said, folding her hands together as though she were going to plead to Max, "The _sexy_ , Max! The sexy _Max_! Give it back!"

"Less sexy, more 'just feed already'," Max said as she watched Chloe sniff at the jug and cringe, "I know it isn't the most pleasant thing, but you _do_ get used to it."

"How do you get used to _this_?" Chloe asked, jerking her head back as she hesitantly took a second smell, making gagging sounds. _This doesn't just smell bad; it smells_ old _, never mind that I can distinguish what old blood smells like_ , Chloe thought with a shudder.

"Well, if you don't want to drink human blood you learn to get creative. You also learn to deal with some pretty shitty-tasting food every now and then. The stuff smells kinda repugnant anyway. It's your body that makes you crave it, not your mind. I _will_ force feed you, y'know, if you don't drink it willingly. _Drink._ "

Seeing the look on Max's face, Chloe looked at the jug in her hands and closed her eyes as she tipped it and took in a mouthful. Nearly coughing it up, Chloe swallowed it and sat introspectively for a moment. _This is so gross. It's thick, and cloying…wait…what is that…?_ Chloe thought as she felt something in the pit of her stomach. Looking over at Max, Chloe had a confused and mildly squeamish look on her face as her stomach growled. Chloe's eyes suddenly look incredibly focused, Max smirking as Chloe tipped the jug up again. _It tastes hella gross, but I can't help but want more. No wonder Max has a hard time stopping sometimes. It's like each mouthful sends a burst of raw energy through me._ Mouthful after mouthful, Chloe repeated the motions of drinking until Max could hear the swishing of a near-empty jug. Setting the jug down, Chloe looked over at Max with a wondrous expression before lying back on the corrugated metal of the rooftop.

 _Oh my Dog, Chloe, you're like a baby,_ Max thought as she looked at the expression on Chloe's face and laughed at the ridiculousness of a blue-haired, infant Chloe. _Do I need to burp you, because ew._

"Fuck, is it always like this?" Chloe asked, closing her eyes with a tranquil expression on her face.

"I'm pretty sure it isn't," Max said with a smirk as laid down next to Chloe.

Max felt Chloe wrap an arm around her shoulders, Max responding by nestling her head in the crook of Chloe's arm. Max closed her eyes as this moment of peace drove what had transpired earlier with Antony and Chloe's dying form at her feet away for a moment, taking solace in her lover's arms. Feeling a silence where Chloe's heartbeat should have been, Max still couldn't help but feel a deep pang of sadness. _A part of her is gone forever, and I'm the one who took it. Antony may have gone for the kill, or to turn her, but I'm the one who did it. I have to take the responsibility for that, and for however this screws up her and us._ Max looked up to see Chloe watching her in silence.

"Creeper," Max said as she elbowed Chloe in the ribs, shifting herself around so that her head flopped down onto Chloe's chest.

"What's going to happen now, Max?" Chloe asked, instinctively reaching for her pack of cigarettes. Pausing a moment, Chloe stared at the crumpled package before taking out a cigarette and lighting it up. Placing the cigarette in her mouth, Chloe inhaled deep and held the smoke for longer than she humanly could have before letting it out in a single, large ring.

"I honestly don't know," Max said, watching Chloe's smoke ring float up into the sky as it faded away, "I'd be lying if I didn't say that things are pretty messed up right now. My head hurts from trying to think about tomorrow, let alone after that. Why?"

"…I want to make good on my promise. Whatever happens, I need to make good on what I said." Max sat up and looked at Chloe in confusion.

"Chlo?"

" _This_ ," Chloe said as she gestured at herself, "changes nothing, Max, at least in one thing I'm dead set on. I'm still going to marry the fuck out of your nerdy ass."

Seeing a smile begin to play across Chloe's lips, Max plucked the cigarette out of Chloe's lips. Tossing Chloe's cigarette over the edge of the rooftop, Max elicited a "Hey!" from her fiancé before Max grabbed her by the jacket collar and pulled her in for a kiss.

Max and Chloe had gone to bed shortly after, Max stepping off the edge of the roof onto the landing with ease. Chloe had tried to mimic Max's easy descent but nearly did a pratfall down the steps as one leg landed at an awkward angle. Not bothering to hide her amusement, Max helped her embarrassed fiancé up, making a point of telling Chloe how precious she was as a baby vampire only to get an exaggerated "Uuuugggghhhh" in response as Max pushed her inside while referring to Chloe as "The Blue-Haired Blunder". Chloe's new status had lit a fire under her, however, and her mood quickly shifted into one of frenetic energy as she told Max that she wanted to do something cool.

"Chloe, it's nearly three in the morning. I'm tired and you're being goofy. Tell me this – would you rather risk me not snuggling when you _do_ go to sleep, or getting a free snuggle pass right now?" Max asked as she wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist and looked up at the taller girl with a playful, waiting expression.

"I thought all my snuggles from you were free, dude. Damn, you're pulling out my punk card," Chloe uttered, tilting her head down to rub her nose against Max's in an Eskimo kiss before tugging Max along to the bedroom.

They had slept through the entire morning, both girls wiped out from the events of the past two months. Max had woken up a few times to feel Chloe spasm alongside her, faint cries and whimpering noises emanating from her. _She's remember what it felt like to die. I think I got a mixed blessing on that. I was drugged, so I don't have dreams about the_ actual _death. At the same time, it was such a violation,_ Max thought with a pained look on her face as she ran her fingers through Chloe's blue hair in introscpection. _The repercussions of that moment in my life are what led me here, though, back into Chloe's life and into her arms. The price I paid, for her? Worth it._

Max had, in turn, felt Chloe's arms wrap around her upon waking more than a few times throughout their slumber. Her memories a haze as her eyes would groggily open, Max would only remember the terror of what had been running through her sleeping head before feeling a calm wash over her as she would look over her shoulder to see Chloe's immersive blue eyes blinking at her.

"What are you doing, Che?" Max asked, curious and groggy.

"Watching over my Mad Max," Chloe replied, her voice partially muffled as she had pressed Max right up against her. _I've got you, Maxaroni. Not letting go. Ever._

Purring a bit at the remark, Max would wiggle around in Chloe's grip until she was facing the blue-haired girl and plant a soft kiss on Chloe's cheek before nodding back off within a few moments. Every time she had woken up, either she had comforted Chloe or Chloe had comforted her. _Not that I'm complaining. If anything, it's been really nice to keep seeing this side of Chloe_ , Max thought as she fully woke up and looked at the clock over the bathroom to see it was just after noon. _Wow. First lengthy amount of sleep in days_. _Chloe Price, The Living Security Blanket! Maybe Vampire Che isn't such a bad thing. At least we'll likely go to bed at the same time now. I won't have to stay up so much during the day._

Max rotated her shoulder around, flexed her forearm a bit. Feeling only a slight stiffness from each, Max had started to move from the kitchen when she suddenly remembered that the supply was empty, if not nearly empty. Opening the fridge, Max found a Styrofoam cup and her half-full sports bottle. Gently shaking both containers, Max heard the sloppy contents and decided to hold off until she… _they_ …absolutely needed it. _For Chloe, that's probably going to be the moment she wakes up_. Leaving Chloe to her sleep, Max brushed her teeth and got dressed.

Max wanted to take the time to teach Chloe some of the stuff she had learned over the years, from others and on her own. Mostly, Max didn't want Chloe to have to start her new life on the run like she'd had to. The memory of Antony with a knife in his chest as Max slammed it harder with her foot crossed her mind and she shuddered, breaking the glass of water Max was using to rinse her mouth out. Muttering, Max bent down to pick up the shards of glass throw them into the bathroom's small waste basket when she heard movement from the bedroom.

"Afternoon, sunshine," Max sarcastically remarked, peeking around the corner to see Chloe starting to flop around in bed, burying her head under a small mountain of pillows.

"No," Chloe said begrudgingly from under her little hideaway, "Come back to bed. I'm so _tired_."

"Can't. And you can't afford to either, not at the moment," Max said as she walked up to the bed and yanked the bedding off of Chloe in a sharp tug, Chloe's complaining an unsurprising response.

"Whyyyy?" Chloe cried out. Max couldn't help but think of a baby Chloe with bright blue hair whining.

"Training day, Price. Up an' at 'em!" Max said in commanding tone, watching with a small amount of pleasure as Chloe sat straight up. The pillows fell alongside her as she slid down the bed until she was sitting in front of Max, looking bashful.

"…Hungry?" Max asked, seeing the faint start of a pout on Chloe's face as the other girl still wouldn't meet her gaze. Max knelt down so that she was eye-level with Chloe and brushed her nose against Chloe's cheek. Seeing Chloe watch from the corner of her eye, Max scooted up so that she was kneeling between Chloe's legs and began nuzzle Chloe's neck. "Come on out, Che. Come and play."

"…Okay…" Chloe said, sounding reluctant. Max was somewhat taken aback by this change in demeanor from last night.

"I know you were having nightmares, Che, but what's wrong? You seem, well, pretty down," Max said as she pushed herself up from between Chloe's legs to take a seat alongside Chloe on the bed. "Hey, seriously, what's wrong?"

"…I died, Max. _I died_ ," Chloe said in almost a whisper, Max putting a hand to her mouth at the crestfallen way Chloe had spoken, "I mean, this is all hella epic and stuff, and I get to be with you the way you are. But I can remember it, remember looking up at you as you cried. I can remember blood gurgling up from the back of my throat…it's horrible…"

Max was speechless, only to take in the depressed appearance of her Che as they sat on the bed in silence. Max wanted to comfort her, but also felt partly responsible for Chloe's current state of being. _I_ am _the one who turned her, after all._ _I said I wouldn't and I ended up doing it anyway. I've got to snap her out of this mood, she'll just waste away like this._ Standing up, Max gently lifted Chloe to her feet and walked both of them into the kitchen. Setting Chloe on the kitchen stool, Max grabbed the Styrofoam cup and a corner of the lid to ensure that it was safe for Chloe to drink before setting the cup in front of her. Glancing down at the cup for a second, Chloe looked up at Max with a forlorn expression before she raised her hand as though to knock the drink off the counter.

"Hey!" Max cried out as she pulled the cup away before Chloe's hand could connect, "Chloe, what the-"

"I don't want it, Max! I just… _fuck_ , I can't even bake anymore, can I?" Chloe said, checking her pockets only to stop mid-search as she rested her head on the counter.

"Well, you can _try_. I've only ever tried pot once, but I was still alive at the time so I never thought to do it again. Besides, you really shouldn't be high right now. The swinging moodiness is something you'll need to learn to control, but I'll be there every step of the way," Max said, coming around the counter to put and arm around Chloe's shoulder, leaning her head against the other girl.

Bringing the cup with her, Max opted to hold onto it as she offered the straw to Chloe. Telling her that they had to be sparing until tonight, "When we'll go hunting", Max told Chloe to only take in a mouthful. Taking in a mouthful herself, Max thought about walking Chloe back to the bed when she came up with something better. Scooping up Chloe in her arms, Max walked her over to the bed and laid her Che down as Chloe began to stifle sobs. Kneeling down so that she could see under the bed, Max brought out her old acoustic guitar and pulled a small chair set against the wall over to the side of the bed Chloe was laying on. Chloe watched Max intensely while wiping at her eyes as the coppery brunette began to gently pick at the strings, tuning a little following each pluck.

Satisfied that the old guitar was as tuned as it could be, Max began to strum softly on the guitar, a rhythm popping into her head as she began to hum along with the beat. Her concentration focused on the soft music emanating from Max, Chloe's tears began to lessen as she felt a wave of comfort wash over her and found herself matching Max's hum with one of her own. Max looked up at her and grinned, continuing to strum slowly at the guitar for a moment before breaking into a fast riff. Getting a giggle out of Chloe, Max scrunched her nose up as she smiled at the amused look in Chloe's eyes and mouthed _Go to sleep, Baby_ while stopping her playing long enough to plant a kiss on her fiancé's forehead.

"Will you keep playing?" Chloe asked, curling up in the bedding, looking at Max with a content expression.

"Until you fall asleep," Max softly replied, looking at Chloe with a warmth that seemed to fill the entire room, "I love you, Chloe." _And you call_ me _cute, you precious little dork? If you weren't dead, I'd eat you right now._

"I love you. Please, please keep playing," Chloe said as she failed to hold back a small yawn while bundling herself up further, "Do you always get so sleepy during the daytime?"

"You're new, so you are more prone to it for now," Max replied, reflecting on her own experience, "I remember how messed up I was at first, adjusting to being a night owl. It'll probably be easier for you than me, punk rocker."

"Will you tell me stories, and teach me how to do some of the hella wicked shit you can do? Teach me your ways, Max Attack," Chloe muttered in an increasingly sleepy daze.

"I will teach you all that I know, Che. Together, we'll learn even more and go places you've never seen."

"Mmm…"

Max played for a few minutes more, strumming mostly to herself, as she finished with Chloe fast asleep.

When Chloe woke up, she was starving. Her stomach growling, Chloe looked around before noticing that the clock above the bathroom doorway read that it was 7 at night. _Ugh, hella fucking beat. I slept, like, almost an entire day. What the fuck, is it always gonna be like this?_ Stretching herself out, Chloe smirked at how different her body felt. Sure, it was still her body but it was like there was a humming under the skin, like she was caged inside of herself. Chloe lifted a hand in front of her face, opening and closing her hand into a fist a few times. _It's like I have new muscles or some weird-ass shit. Wait. Where's Max?_

Looking around, Chloe saw a dim glow coming from the living room. Sliding out of the bed, Chloe looked around before noticing that she wasn't still in the wrecked clothes from the night before and that the blankets she had been covered up in were replaced with others. _Did Max change me_ and _the bedding while I was out? How did I not notice that?_ A warm feeling shot through her at the thought of Max, the nerdy little girl who had basically serenaded her to sleep. _She's such a dork. She's my SuperMax. Mine._ Walking quietly into the living room, Chloe felt a bit startled at the sight of Max lighting tea candles all around the living space. _How did I not hear her moving around in here? Shouldn't I have crazy fucking powers, too? She really_ is _a ninja. Just another thing for my Jedi Max-ter to teach me. I_ am _her sidekick and faithful companion, after all_. _Only right that she shares._

Hearing Chloe approach, Max blew out the long match that she had been using to light the last of the candles. Smirking as she was still facing away from Chloe, Max wondered if Chloe knew how loud she was really being. _It was terrifying at first, Chloe being a vampire. It still kind-of is, because if anybody can be more reckless it is_ her, Max thought with a small grimace of worry at the idea of a fuck-it-all 'Chlo-pire'. _Still, her time sleeping gave me a moment for myself to think this over. She's still my Che. I'm not sure if it is her humanity that kept me so calm or her, but we'll discover our calm together._

"Hey, you," Max said softly, hearing Chloe gasp as she realized she had been caught. _Nice try, Chloe. Ninja, you are not._

"Max, you…you look amazing," Chloe uttered, the airiness in her voice resulting in a satisfying smile playing across Chloe's lips, "Why didn't you ever dress like that before?" _Where the hell has_ this _been all my life? Max cleans up_ good _, which is hella good for me._

"This whole thing, you being turned, started way off on the wrong foot. You're here, I'm here; it is cause for celebrating. This is a special occasion," Max said, turning around, "It's not every day that you get to celebrate someone's birthday, let alone a _second_ one."

Chloe heard what Max was saying, but was locked in on the sight of Max Caulfield as she walked toward where Chloe was standing. Chloe had never been the bashful type, but she felt incredibly awkward as she was in pajamas and Max was in… _that_. _Holy hella fucking shit,_ Chloe thought over and over as Max approached her, wearing a knee-length sundress the color of red wine with her hair down, a small black sweater over the dress.

Approaching Chloe with bare feet, Max looked up at her fiance with a seductive smile before planting a wet kiss on a speechless Chloe's lips. Holding Max's kiss, Chloe nearly groaned at the urge to pull back and take a breath before remembering that she didn't actually have to breathe anymore. Just as she was about to push herself into the kiss more, Chloe felt a whimper escape her lips as Max pulled away. Her hands outstretched, Max smiled sweetly as Chloe placed her own hands in Max's and was led onto the couch. Taking the seat proffered by Max, Chloe looked down at her pajamas and felt embarrassed again.

"I am hella underdressed for…whatever this is," Chloe said, her tone meek as Max just looked back at her and smiled her trademarked, sheepish grin.

"I-I wanted to do something really nice. Last night was…was really difficult, Che. You died, I _nearly_ died, and now you're here like me. A second chance for us calls for something nice," Max said, looking away bashfully. _Dog, am I overdoing this? I wanted this moment to be really nice, but maybe I'm going overboard._

"No, Max. This is amazeballs. I'm just processing everything, taking it all in. I mean, you look beautiful and the candlelight is so mushy that even _I_ feel gooey from your effort," Chloe said, feeling her stomach about to growl, "I'm also hella starved. Do we have any pi-, oh. Forgot I don't need to eat actual food anymore."

"Not needing to eat it doesn't take away the joy _from_ eating it," Max said as she walked to the fridge, coming back with two full-sized bottles of Goldschlager and a box of candies, "It just…it doesn't make you feel full anymore, or satisfied in terms of hunger."

"Then why eat it?" Chloe asked, feeling confused.

"Well," Max said pensively as she sat on the coffee table in front of Chloe, setting the candy beside her and taking a drink from one of the bottles of cinnamon liquor, "You know how you _love_ pizza?"

"Uh, yeah…?"

"Don't ever eat it again," Max said, looking at Chloe with a curious expression.

"What? No fucking way. Wait…," Chloe said, "But if I don't _need_ it…, shit. I'm confused."

"Chloe, just because you don't need it doesn't mean you won't _want_ it. It's no different than your _wanting_ to smoke pot and get drunk," Max snickered, "It's the taste, the texture. You want it because you just _want_ it."

With that said, Max slides the lid off of the box of candies and withdraws a chocolate from the box. Hovering the small morsel in front of Chloe's mouth, Max urges Chloe on and Chloe reluctantly bites into the sweet. _Whoa, the taste is so werid,_ Chloe muses as she chews some more, _It feels weird too. Hella sweet, sweeter than I remember. So soft, shit's like butter or something really soft._

Swallowing, Chloe waits for her stomach to gurgle as the sweet goes down but feels nothing. The taste and texture, however, leave Chloe wanting another piece. Not waiting for Max to hand off another, Chloe slips her hand into the box and pulls out a chocolate-covered almond. Popping it into her mouth, Chloe's eyes practically roll into the back of her head from the softness of the chocolate coating and the crunch of the nut.

"Food is like this _all_ _the time_?" Chloe says as she swallows again, "I barely saw you eat anything, Max, but I want to feast on that whole damn box."

"Uh, well, I practice a lot of self-restraint," Max said, rubbing the back of her neck as she awkwardly smiled, "You can gorge away if you want."

Chloe watched Max get up and walk over to mess with something in the kitchen. Looking down at the chocolate, Chloe thought about the awkward look on Max's face when she had just been talking. _Did I miss something? Was she expecting something else?_ Chloe looked over in the direction Max had gone and saw her fiddling with something in the fridge.

Chloe hoisted herself up off the couch and walked over to the kitchen. Coming up from behind, Chloe tapped Max on the shoulder, wrapping the smaller girl in her arms when Max turned around. Feeling her hug met with a small sigh as Max leaned her head into Chloe's neck, Chloe felt two small hands run across her sides and around her back as Max matched Chloe's hug with one of her own.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, leaning in so that her head was barely resting on Max's bare shoulder.

"I should be asking that," Max replied, her voice a little shaky. Pulling back, Max looked up at Chloe with a pained expression, "You've been through so much in so short a time, Che. I thought of doing this while you were asleep, but it feels…kinda awkward. Especially when there's so much to do tonight."

"We've got the rest of the evening, though, and I'm wide awake. Dude," Chloe said as she brushed a few coppery strands of hair from Max's face, "Talk to me, Max."

Looking down at her hands as she let go of Chloe, Max's shyness overcame her for a moment before she could look Chloe in the face. Max was excited and terrified, but mostly just anxious. When they had promised each other to stay together forever, when Chloe proposed _,_ the idea of Chloe becoming a vampire had honestly never crossed her mind. _I meant my promise, and my answer; I just never thought of Chloe becoming like me. Does that make me a bad person, that a part of me wanted Chloe to stay human and watch her grow old? I would have stayed the same age, I_ will _stay the same age, but she would have aged and matured._

"This was a mistake," Max said as she moved out of Chloe's embrace, "I-I'm not ready for this…"

"Max?" Chloe asked, worry creeping up on her as the scared look on Max's face triggered an alarm in Chloe's mind. _Shit, she's hella freaking. What did I do?_ "Max, don't go. Just tell me what's wrong!"

Chloe watched Max hesitate for a moment before letting out a cry of surprise and Max leapt onto her and proceeded to make out with her more intensely than Chloe had ever felt her do so. It dawned on Chloe at that moment that when Max had described her self-restraint moments before she hadn't just been talking about food. Feeling Max's tongue forced into her mouth, Chloe felt herself fall against the kitchen counter as she tried instinctively to pull Max off her so that she could steady herself. Sliding a hand between them, Chloe had barely even begun to push at Max before Max grabbed said hand by the wrist and held it along Chloe's side.

"Jesus, Max!" Chloe said as she managed to pull her face away from Max's for a moment, "What the hell, dude? Where did that come from?"

As easily as she had started, Max abruptly stopped advancing on Chloe. Sliding her legs down Chloe's sides till she was on her tip-toes, Max took a step back and rubbed at some chocolate on the corner of her mouth with a finger before sucking the chocolate off.

"That has always been there, Chloe," Max said, her voice a little lower than Chloe remembered it being, "Now that I don't have to restrain myself around you as much, it's a little…h-harder to keep up."

 _Oh my God. She's as much of a beat in the sack as she is when she fights. She probably would have killed me if she went_ this _hardcore with me while I was still alive and kickin'_ , Chloe thought as she gave Max a sweet kiss on the cheek. Amazed at the sneak peek of how powerful Max actually was, Chloe looked away in embarrassment as she realized something that made her equal parts amused and nervous. _Dude, I'm totally the weaker of us. Still. She could fucking dominate me right now if she wanted to. Fuck, maybe she did!_ Putting a hand to her head as Chloe tried to resolve her sweet Max with the Max she had just experienced, she felt herself calm down when a small hand began to lightly scratch at her back.

"You still like it when you get scratched here, right?" Max asked, her voice and demeanor more in line with what Chloe thought of as 'normal', "Um…s-sorry about that. You kinda, well, you _really_ get me worked up." _Truth._

"Oh, really? I turn you on?" Chloe said as she grinned appreciatively while Max slowly increased the pressure of her fingers as she continued scratching.

"Like 'hella fucking epic', brah," Max said as she tried to do a Chloe impersonation, "Ready for the mosh pit, Shaka Brah."

"Uh, no. No, you are definitely not," Chloe sniggered, moving towards the fridge, reluctantly, and away from'Max's magic fingers', "Do we have any more…y'know…?"

"Blood?" Max said, sighing as she realized that she had pushed things a bit too far, "No. I'm actually glad you brought that up. We need to go hunting."

"Really?! Do I get to punch a bear like you did? Because...oh, oh fuck…," Chloe stammered as Max slipped out of her clothes right where she was standing and walked towards the bedroom in only her underwear, "Dude, _stop_ with the fucking teasing!" Chloe grunted in annoyance as she heard Max's giggling in reply. Chloe couldn't help it, however, as her frustration quickly turned to excitement at the prospect of tonight.

Max was going hunting, and Chloe was joining her.

 **Author's Note –**

 **Yeah, I know this is shorter than what I've put out over the past several days. Talking to some of the other writers here on FF, they brought up concern that I may burn out before I come to a satisfactory conclusion. I reluctantly agreed, plus the stuff with my family is taking a toll on my concentration. Anywho…**

 **With Chloe a vampire now, I thought that a shift in the story's perspective would be necessary. Just as I let you into Max's head chapters ago, I feel it is important to highlight Chloe's struggles with her new status** _ **and**_ **Max's struggles with Chloe.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this one!**

 **Read, Review, and I'll see you next chapter.**

 **Stay hella, my beautiful cinnamon rolls!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Swamped, from the acoustic version of the single by Lacuna Coil**

 **Note - This story puts me over 200,000 words in a month! Woo, I'm on fiyahhhhhhhh! Cue the air guitar riff! XD**

Max zipped up her jacket as she watched Chloe pull on a beanie that Max had bought while she was sleeping. The same dark blue as the first beanie she had seen Chloe wear, Max had picked it out of nostalgia. Slipping her feet into an older pair of boots, Max tightened the straps so the footwear was snug. Feeling she was being watched, Max looked up to see Chloe grinning down at her.

"What?" Max asked.

"I have seen you hunt once and get into a real fight all of once," Chloe said in admiration, "When you gear up like this, it's like you're putting on armor or something.

"That's because I am," Max said with a smirk as she finished tightening the last strap before standing up. Stomping on the floor a bit to ensure a good fit, Max popped her neck and put her hair into a ponytail as she walked back into the kitchen and returned with a large garbage bag full of empty jugs.

"How much hunting will we be doing?" Chloe asked, her excited grin faltering a bit as she saw Max grin back at her, "Uh, what?"

"Oh, it's just that when you get really excited you kinda wiggle," Max said nonchalantly, "You've done it since we were kids."

"What? Dude, I don't do that," Chloe said, the deadpan look on her face only making Max grin wider.

"You _just_ stopped because I said something, but you totally were."

"Lies."

"Nope."

"Lies!"

Rolling her eyes, Max opened the door and waited for Chloe to exit the apartment before closing and locking their place up. Handing Chloe the bag, Max smirked and gave her a salute before hopping the railing only to gracefully land on the ground two stories down. Looking up, Max flashed Chloe a grin and a wink only to see Chloe about to try.

"Don't!" Max exclaimed as she walked under where Chloe was on the steps, "You didn't even have your footing when we dropped from the roof to the landing. Take the stairs, Che, unless you want to likely land on your face in front of me."

Chloe grumbled at Max as she walked down the steps with the large bag dragging behind her. _I could totally pull that off! She's showing off like she's some hot shit. Well, she is…but still! Max Caulfield, you better show me how to do that to-fucking-night._ Reaching the bottom of the steps, Chloe handed the bag over to Max only to see Max point at the back of the truck before heading over to the vehicle herself. _I'm your sidekick, not your servant. Ugh!_

"Dude, I'm not your little helper," Chloe said with a groan as she dumped the bag in the truck bed, "And quit showing off!"

"You don't think it's sexy?" Max asked back with a smirk, the smirk growing as she watched Chloe huff before slamming her door shut, "Relax, Che. Tonight, you're the student and I'm the master. I'm just getting into character."

"Stop giggling," Chloe said with a roll of her eyes as she started the truck, "So, _Master Max_ , where are we headed? Some place scenic, one might assume?

"Brilliant deduction, Watson," Max replied before leaning over to kiss Chloe sweetly on the cheek, "I'm just messing with you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know, Nerd-lock," Chloe said before raising an eyebrow at Max, "Where we going, dude?"

"We'll park the truck at the junkyard and go from there on foot," Max said, surprising Chloe by the sudden seriousness of her voice.

"Serious bidness it is, then."

Pulling up to the junkyard, Max gave Chloe a smug grin as she gestured to the bag of empty jugs again. Her lips thinned in an expression of irritation, Chloe leaned into the truck bed and retrieved the jugs necessary for their continued feeding. _These feel the same weight as jugs normally would. Shouldn't this shit be light as a feather or something?_ Following Max for a second, Chloe grew curious as she watched Max collect random stones and bolts off the ground. _What is she doing?_

Max cracked the knuckles in her free hand before switching the handful of stones and metal bits over to it so she could pop the other one. Looking around, she took note of where all the lighting was for the junkyard before turning her head to look at Chloe. _She'll love this. I'm not going to lie – showing off to her is pretty funny._

"Watch this," Max said before sprinting off.

Chloe watched as each of the lights in the junkyard popped out, the glass shattering as something was tossed at them. _Oh, you fucking brat!_ Chloe thought as she made a smirk of her own. Chloe had been looking forward to this but she had never thought how much Max would enjoy getting to do something like this _with_ her as opposed to just watching Max go at it. _I'm not the only kid here, you nerdy little shit._

"Boo!" Max shouted from behind Chloe, Chloe jumping in fright as she turned to see Max standing directly behind her with a smile on her freckled face as began to laugh, "You should see your face!"

"Oh, _screw you_ , Max _ine_ Caulfi-"

"Ugh, I _hate_ it when people call me that," Max said with narrowed eyes before sticking out her tongue, "I should just leave you here. I think I will."

Chloe opened her mouth to speak but Max was already gone. Turning around, her head swiveling from one side to the other, Chloe began to feel disappointed that Max would just run off. _Max! Come on!_

"Dude, I was just fucking kidding! Max! _Max_!" Chloe shouted with her hands cupped to her mouth, stopping when she saw Max come from behind the boat and walk towards her, bright violet eyes staring at her. Chloe shuddered for a moment before remembering that she could do that too, and tried. Chloe quickly realized that while she _could_ do the trick with her eyes she wasn't actually _able to_ and watched Max saunter up the rest of the way to where Chloe was standing.

"Apologize," Max said with a pout, a hand on her hip.

"I'm sorry, okay? I know that you hate being called by your full name. You know I'm just irked because you're basically fucking with me at this point?" Chloe explained.

Eyeing Chloe, Max gave her a lopsided smirk before walking around Chloe in a circle.

"What can you see right now?" Max asked, her tone curious, "Aside from my eyes, what can you see?"

"Uhh, it's pretty dark out so-" Chloe said before being cut off by Max making a buzzer noise.

"There is a _small_ trick with the abilities you have, Che," Max told Chloe, her voice calm and soft like how it normally was, "It's about concentration. You have to _focus_ on shifting your eyes. Watch."

Chloe watched as Max's silhouette moved to stand in front of her, small violet dots looking directly at her. _This is cool, but also kinda creepy,_ Chloe thought as she curiously watched Max. Max didn't budge, and Chloe wondered what her fiancé was going to do, when suddenly Max's eyes started to fade until the glowing violet eyes were gone altogether. _Whoa!_ Chloe thought with a small amount of surprise as they reappeared a moment later.

"Focus, Chloe. It's dark here, so _make your eyes shift_ ," Max said as she had Chloe bend down some, placing her hands on Chloe's shoulders while standing behind her, "What color is the boat?"

"It's blue. Duh."

" _Concentrate_. Right now the boat is blue because you know it is, but it is also black currently because there's no light. Let your eyes be that light."

Chloe thought about what Max said, the stared at the boat for a moment. Focusing on a _need_ to see the boat, Chloe's head began to hurt and she winced before everything exploded into light and color, followed with a popping sensation coming from inside her mouth. Figuring that the popping was her fangs, Chloe was more enraptured by the vividness she remembered from the lighthouse. Turning her head to look at Max, both girls' mouths spread into grins. _God, it's like her eyes are kaleidoscopes, the patterns of color. I wonder if mine look like that to her._ Seeing Maxpoint over to the boat, Chloe followed where Max was pointing to and saw that where the boat sat was a shimmering mass in the shape of the boat.

"Whoa! It's like there's a glow around it," Chloe said in astonishment before looking back at Max, "What is that, some sort of special sight where I can focus on a target?"

"Not a game, Chloe," Max said with a sigh, "Meh, probably something in the paint. A chemical or something. Regardless, what is the color of the boat _now_?"

"It's like this…this weird, shimmery blue," Chloe said as she looked back at it, "Wait, how'd it get a hole in it?"

"Never mind that," Max said with a clipped tone. _She doesn't need to know what I did here. At least, not yet._ "Time for your second lesson in this crash course."

"Oooh, this is getting good!" Chloe rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"I want you to run from here to the shed on the other side of the train tracks," Max said, this time pointing to the small hill overlooking where the trains came right next to the junkyard.

"You want me to do that super-speed thing? Uh, hit me with a knowledge bomb, Max. Show me the way!" Chloe eagerly said.

"I want to see you try on your own first. It helps, Chloe. You don't have to be embarrassed if you goof up," Max said, a faint smile on her face.

 _She doesn't look like she's messing with me anymore. Good. Okay, okay. Time to put your money where your mouth is, Chloe. Show your lady just what you can do!_ Bringing one foot back, Chloe got into whatever she thought was a runner's stance and ran as fast as she could. Feeling her feet move rapidly beneath her, Chloe felt exhilaration for a moment before realizing that she was just running like she normally did. Pushing herself harder, Chloe bounded ahead for a split-second and careened into a wrecked car before bouncing onto the ground with a thud. _It doesn't hurt, but I feel like saying_ Oww.

"Owww…?" Chloe said as she lifted herself up, hearing Max approach, "Sorry there, sensei. Guess I'm just gonna have to 'try and try again', huh?"

Max smiled for a second before sprinting off herself, Chloe watching in amazement as she could actually track Max's movements better with her newly vampiric eyes. _Whoa_ , Chloe thought as she followed Max along her line of sight until the smaller girl was standing on top of the shed across the tracks, _How does she do that? She makes it look so easy!_

"Time out, coach," Chloe said from where she fell as she sat up against the wrecked car, watching Max hop down from the shed and start to walk back, "I need a hella pep talk."

"I find it hard to believe that you and 'pep' can even fit in the same sentence without you wanting to fight," Max snorted as she sat next to Chloe, "What's on your mind?"

"How did you learn all of this stuff?" Chloe blurted out, arms gesturing at Max, "You're all super-sized and I'm stumbling around like a fucking idiot!"

"You're a day old, Chloe. There's an allowance for being clumsy as fuck."

"But I want, like, cheat codes or something!"

"Sorry. You don't have the cred for 'God Mode'."

Max and Chloe both chuckled at that before Max stood up, hoisting Chloe up along with her. Brushing the dirt off of themselves, Max ushered Chloe along as they walked over to where the shed was. _She's trying_ , Max thought as she looked at Chloe from the corner of her eye with a small grin, _She just needs a little more of a push and some practice._

"Okay, Blue Wonder, now you learn how to use the strength which sent you flying into that car for throwing down," Max said as they reached an outlying group of trees that separated the junkyard from the rest of the forest. Gesturing to a tree, Max folded her arms across her chest and watched as Chloe looked at the tree, then back at her.

"Wait. You want me to punch a tree? This order is coming from the hippie?" Chloe asked, smirking at the obvious joke as she got a groan from Max in reply.

"Ugh, dork!" Max exclaimed, playfully shoving Chloe aside. "Fine. I'll go first. It's like the eyes, kinda. You concentrate, but you also have to realize that it is like your body is a single, freely-moving muscle. You focus…contract…and release…!"

At "release", Max pulled her fist back before firing it into the center of the tree truck, Chloe's eyes lighting up at the loud _crack_ that echoed through the area as a fairly large crack appeared where Max's fist had been. _Oh, that was so badass. She's so fucking cool, this is gonna be_ epic _!_

"My turn!" Chloe exclaimed as she reared back like Max did, narrowed her eyes in concentration, and landed a solid punch on the tree trunk.

Not as loud as Max's, Chloe still felt a bit of satisfaction as another cracking sound reverberated through the trees and the junkyard. Pulling her fist away, Chloe looked at the widening crack before yelling in surprise as Max's foot came flying within inches of her face. Chloe looked up as the small tree came careening down towards them after a loud _snap_ and felt Max grab onto her before finding that they were both watching the tree fall from the top of the shed. _Dude! What the…? Ohhh, I get it. Showoff._

"Quit fucking showing off, Max," Chloe said as she pulled at her beanie, "I already know that you're the stronger of-"

"Holy crap," Max said, looking at Chloe in shock, "You actually said it."

"I didn't say _shit_ ," Chloe snapped back as she pulled her beanie down further, "I didn't say a goddamn thing."

"Bull. You said that I'm the stronger of us," Max said, her eyes full of mirth as a huge grin became plastered across her face, "You may have not finished that sentence, but it's what you _were_ saying."

"…Ughhhhh," Chloe uttered, lifting her beanie high enough to stick her tongue out at Max.

"I'll bite it off," Max whispered playfully, Chloe jumping at how close Max had suddenly gotten.

Pulling the beanie up so that Chloe's mouth was showing, Max pinned the taller girl's arms to her sides as she leaned up on her tip-toes and gave the bashful Chloe a kiss. Not ravenous like back at the apartment, this kiss was long but gentle, a kiss of affection and nurturing. Letting go of Chloe's arms, Max watched her pull the beanie back up and look away in a cute mixture of embarrassment and happiness.

"C'mon," Max said, taking her fiancé's hand as she led them deeper into the woods, "Oh, shit. Hang on." Chloe watched Max sprint off only to return with the bag of empty jugs, carrying it herself with her free hand as she led Chloe in to one of her hunting grounds.

The woods were peaceful this time of night. No distant train, no sounds of people or vehicles so deep in the forests of Oregon, Max loved it here. _Sometimes I wish I could just live_ here _, among the trees and the stars. I guess I_ am _a hippie, but when you love what you love who cares?_ Looking over at Chloe as they walked hand in hand, Max watched the moonlight play across the eager face and blue hair and found herself giggling as Chloe looked over at her in confusion.

"Max? Uh, you okay?"

"You are so beautiful right now, Che. You just…you just don't understand," Max said, smiling warmly over at the taller girl. Chloe stopped walking and Max stopped to face her only to feel Chloe wrap her arms around her.

"This is all so amazing, Max," Chloe murmured softly, lifting up her chin so that Max was resting her head underneath, "I never thought I'd get to see you again, and now months later we're together _and_ we have superpowers! This is hella cool!"

"Do I still get my sweet Che?" Max asked, taking Chloe aback at the sudden weakness in her voice.

"Max, I'm just _really_ excited. I'll always be your sweet Che," Chloe said with a grin as she tightened her hold for a moment before letting go of Max, "Okay, but seriously, we need to do something amazeballs right now."

Leading Chloe further into the woods, Max lightly set the bag down and began looping one of the empty jugs around her waist with a piece of cord. Motioning for Chloe to do the same, Max began to sniff at the air and started to prowl around for any signs of recent wildlife activity. Chloe watching her raptly, Max shut everything out of her mind that wasn't necessary to what she was doing right now. Finding a set of tracks, Max lightly dabbed her hand at the imprints and came away with a slight bit of mud on her fingertips. Hearing Chloe gasp, Max looked over at her with a bemused expression.

"What?" Max asked with a concerned look, "What's wrong?"

"I just love it when I see you do cool shit like this," Chloe confessed, realizing that she had made an audible sound to go with her amazement.

"Ugh, Che. Very _ugh_."

Turning her attention back to the prints, Max figured that they were still relatively fresh, there was too much moisture for them to have been days old. Pushing away some leaves, Max found that the prints continued directly ahead and to the left of where she and Chloe currently were. Standing up, Max put the muddy fingertips to her nose and took in a deep inhalation through her nose, preparing to track the animals. Popping out her fangs, she looked over at Chloe and gestured her to do the same. When Chloe couldn't will her fangs to come out, Max improvised.

"Chlooooeeee…," Max said in a low voice as she wound her arms around Chloe's waist, sliding her hands into the seat of Chloe's jeans as she purred Chloe's name.

"Max, what are you-" _Pop_.

"Good, that's done," Max said as she looked at Chloe's fangs approvingly, "Let's go."

"What? Did you just turn me on to get my fangs to come out? Hey! Hey, I want some of that when we're done here, Goddamnit!" Chloe called after Max when she heard a chuckle from the brunette as she walked a few paces ahead. _Dude, not fucking cool! Sexy as hell, but totally not cool!_

Chloe was so busy thinking about Max's teasing and grumbling in frustration that she didn't notice Max had stopped moving until she nearly jumped as Max put a hand on her shoulder. Looking out to where Max was staring, Chloe saw a pair of dark shapes a ways off. Excited, Chloe looked over at Max only to see Max already looking at her with a worried expression.

"What? Max, isn't this what we're supposed to do?" Chloe asked, waving her arms in the direction of the wildlife.

"It's just…I'm having second thoughts," Max said, biting her lip, "You can't even sprint yet, and you're not quite there with your strikes."

"Good thing I've got SuperMax to keep me safe," Chloe said with a smirk, "C'mon, it'll be hella cool."

"Until you get slashed up like crazy. Those aren't bears, Chloe. They're a pack of mountain lions."

"So?"

"They're way more vicious than bears, Chlo," Max said, grimacing as Chloe looked like she wasn't going to back down, "Alright, _fine_. You follow my lead, you do as I say, and if you don't I will toss you back up here. You can sit in a corner when we get home to think about what you've done. Understand?"

Chloe started to feel nervous when Max made her threat. _She's serious. I knew that she worries about me, but I never really thought about_ how much _she worries. Maybe this isn't such a good idea,_ Chloe thought as she smiled at how protective Max was of her, even with her now being a vampire. Before she could recant her desire to go running into trouble, Max was already stalking the mountain lions. Chloe hung back a bit and watched as Max climbed up a tree, still a good distance away from her prey, and began to jump from tree to tree. _Holy shit, she's like a little Amazon._

Max was vaguely aware of how far back Chloe was, but her attention was focused on the pair of animals almost directly beneath her. Finding a sturdy branch halfway up one of the larger trees in the area, Max hung upside-down as she monitored her prey. Closing her eyes and taking a moment to shut everything out, Max felt a thrill of exhilaration before she unhooked her legs and began to fall. Tucking her legs in, Max let her body right itself and landed directly between the mountain lions, one of the beasts jumping back a bit from the silence of the intruder.

Chloe watched as Max dropped and landed gracefully between the animals, feeling both pride and envy at how simple all this was for Max. She had seen Max hunt before, sure, but she had never seen her really flex her muscles with how well she could hunt. Chloe almost thought about just hanging back and watching Max at work, but the antsy feeling in her chest as Max kicked one of the mountain lions in the chest as it sprung at her made Chloe want to throw down. Running, Chloe let out a gleeful shout.

Max's head spun as soon as she heard Chloe let out her little war cry, rolling her eyes as she finished off one of the lions by snapping its neck with a savage kick. Panting from the exertion, Max watched as Chloe went to sprint and failed miserably. Barely dodging a menacing swipe from the remaining animal, Chloe scrambled back and found herself pinned against a tree. _No!_ Max thought as she sprinted towards Chloe.

Chloe raised her arms to her face, _human_ instinct outweighing the knowledge that she was a vampire. Before the claws could rend her arms, Chloe suddenly felt a small hand grab the collar of her jacket. _What…oh, shit!_ Chloe thought as she went flying off in the direction Max had brought her. _She actually tossed me! I thought that was like a joke, or something._ Landing with a _whump_ , Chloe looked off in the direction she heard Max and the mountain lion and saw Max begin to rip into the still-fighting beast with her teeth at its throat. _Jesus Christ, I hope I never piss her off like that. Shit, she's probably like that_ because _she's hella pissed. I think I'm in trouble._

Looming over the dying creature, Max raised a hand to her face and wiped the blood off her chin before licking it off the palm of her hand. Scratches on her face and a few slash marks across the front of her jacket, Max groaned in frustration as she saw Chloe cautiously approach from the corner of her eye. Opting to deal with Chloe later, Max kneeled down next to the whimpering animal and tear back into it again, breaking its neck with one hand as she steadied the area she was feeding from with another. Grabbing the jug at her waist as she pulled her head back, Max heard the trickle of blood as it hit the bottom of the empty container and began to slowly fill.

"Max, I'm sorry. I guess I need some more-"

"Bite into the other one and fill up the jug you've got like I'm doing," Max interrupted, not looking at Chloe.

"Oh. Uh, sure." _You pissed her off again, Chloe. Good job!_ Rolling her eyes at her own feebleness, Chloe plodded over to the dead mountain lion that hadn't been fed off of yet and forced her fangs to come out, wincing from the pain. Leaning into the neck of the animal, Chloe's nose crinkled at the matted fur and smell of the creature's breath. _Fucking gross!_ Looking back over at Max, Chloe saw that Max was capping a half-full jug and beginning to feed for herself at this point. Slowly, feeling nauseated at the smell coming from the beast, Chloe bit into it and took in some of its blood before quickly pulling back so she could collect the blood in her own empty container.

"What the fuck was that?" Chloe heard Max say, the other girl now kneeling beside her, "Are you crazy, Che?! You could have gotten hurt. _Seriously_ hurt."

Chloe looked up and saw the concern on Max's face, the worry and guilt in those bright violet eyes of her fiancé. _She's not mad?_

"You're not angry with me?" Chloe asked, feeling Max place a hand on her shoulder as she gently squeezed. A faint smile trickling across her lips, Chloe looked up at Max again and felt a warmth play across her lips as Max kissed her. _I need this, like hella bad. I need to know that we're okay._

"I will always have your back, Che," Max said before lightly punching Chloe on the shoulder, "Even when you're being a goon and a dork."

"Coming from Maxzilla, jumping down from a tree and tearing into _mountain lions_ , I'm not so sure I mind being a goon…or a dork," Chloe rebutted, feeling awkward before a Max that she was only just now getting to see in her full power.

"Awww, cold feet?"

"Hella no! Just…is it always like _this_?" Chloe gestured at the carnage.

"Uh, pretty much. You want to eat, don't you?" Max replied, her tone and face incredulous.

"Yeah, but _Jesus fuck_ , Max. You turn into a goddamn predator and-"

"We _are_ predators, Chloe," Max answered simply, "Playing with your new skillset is fun, but when it comes down to it we have these so that we can feed."

Electing to go easier with the next hunt, Chloe looking at Max in shock because they were going hunting _again_ , Max chose a small herd of deer. Taking their time, Max kept Chloe close by this time and pointed out to her the weaker ones that Chloe should go for. Feeling like she was being babied, Chloe had looked at Max with a disapproving glare before seeing the look of tenderness and concern in Max's eyes. Melting at the sight of such love in her partner's eyes, Chloe begrudgingly relented and went after the two does that Max had pointed out to her.

Catching one, Chloe had winced when she broke its neck and cursed under her breath when she wasn't able to catch the other one. Looking over to where Max was, Chloe's jaw dropped as Max landed on top of a stag and bit at the back of its neck while riding it. Watching the creature flop almost immediately, Max broke off an antler and went after another stag, tossing the antler like a spear as it went through the other stag's abdomen. _I really_ really _need to not piss her off. Max is, uh, yeah_ , Chloe thought as Max turned her head to look at Chloe with a gleeful smile. _She fucking loves this. Wow, guess I can't blame her, having to do it for so long._

Max dragged the stag she had speared over to the other deer she had taken down and drained them both, filling one jug and half of another. _Glad I grabbed two_ , Max thought as she wrapped up her work with the two deer, _I wonder how Chloe's doing_. The giddiness she felt when hunting beginning to subside, Max leisurely walked over to where Chloe was bent over a doe.

"Where's the other?" Max asked, picking animal fur off of her jacket, "It get away?"

"Sorry, dude. I'm not used to all this. Not yet," Chloe replied, her tone apologetic as she shook the full jug, "But at least I got one, right?"

Looking bemusedly at Chloe's sheepish grin as she lofted her prize of a full jug, Max chuckled as she knelt down next to Chloe and leaned her forehead into the other girl's. Seeing the surprise on Chloe's face at the display of affection, Max chuckled again before standing up. Helping Chloe up, Max sprinted back over to her own prizes and returned promptly with her two jugs.

"I think this should be enough for now," Max said as she took Chloe's hand, "There's two of us now so we'll have to feed a little sparingly, but this should do for a few days or so."

"How often did you go hunting before?" Chloe asked, curious.

"Oh, well it was just me so not as often. Still, sometimes when you'd be fast asleep I would roam around the woods and just pick at the wildlife to eat something fresh. I don't really like how blood tastes, it's why I mix everything up, but there's something about the heat of it when you get it straight from the animal," Max said absentmindedly, as though this was a perfectly natural response.

"Wow, you sound like you're a connoisseur or something," Chloe said with a snicker.

"Nah. I just know what I like."

"What else do you like?"

"Well, there _was_ this one type of blood that I really liked. Shame I can't get it anymore, it was so tasty," Max said with a smirk as she saw Chloe's attentive look, "Words can't really describe it."

"Lemme guess? A unicorn?"

"Close. You."

"Get the fuck outta here with that cheesy shit, Caulfield."

"Awww, widdle Chloe Pwice wif her bebbeh vampy feewings hurt? Oh noes!" Max said as she nearly bowled over from laughing.

"Dude. _Shut up_ ," Chloe said, fighting as her frown slowly gave way to a smile. _It's not funny! Okay, fine, it's pretty damn funny. But how long am I going to be the 'baby'? Ugh, what the fuck this is bullshit Goddamnit._

Max and Chloe were joking around and teasing each other as they came back to the junkyard. Appreciating getting to hang out with Max in what was now _their_ world, Chloe had clasped onto Max's hand the entire time when she convinced Max to just walk back. _This is what I want, Max. You and me, with the entire fucking word bowing._ The idea of traveling the world with Max like this made Chloe feel nearly euphoric as she felt Max lean up against her as they made their way past the shed.

Walking down the hill, Chloe was still giggling when she felt Max's hand tighten. Looking over at her partner, Chloe's smile faded when she saw Max's eyes narrow.

"Max. Max, what's wrong?" Chloe asked, a nagging worry beginning to creep up on her.

"Chloe…someone else is here," Max whispered, detaching her hand from Chloe's so she could put a finger to her lips.

Moving forward cautiously, Max left the bag of filled jugs with Chloe as she checked the junkyard. She could sense that someone was here, _maybe_ had just left, but her nose was so plugged up with the scent of mountain lion and deer that her sense of smell was more of a detriment than an advantage. Making her way to the 'Chloe Cave', Max peered inside and frowned at the wreckage of what had been her fiancé's secret hideout. Looking back at Chloe, Max signaled for her to come over.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe," Max said as Chloe approached, concern on her face.

 _What the fuck_? was Chloe's first thought as she surveyed the damage inside what had been her private getaway from years of drama and pain. _This…this is just fucking_ felt her lip quiver as she picked at the broken furniture, the torn pictures and shattered CDs. The graffiti on the walls had been painted over with red lines, and there was a small pile of ash and melted plastic where someone had lit her things on fire. Feeling her legs begin to give, Chloe nearly fell to the floor before she felt Max catch her.

Easing Chloe down, Max felt a deep pang of sorrow as Chloe began to shake from choked sobs. _This was your real home after William died. I'm so sorry, Che. Who the fuck would do this?_ Max began to examine the area herself, more deductive than Chloe as this had been a personal sanctuary for the weeping blue-haired girl. Max tried to clear out her sense of smell by blowing air out her nose, but she couldn't catch any familiar scent. _The only thing I smell is some gasoline and the leftover scent of pot smoke. Crap._ Picking through torn-up magazines, Max found what looked like the sole survivor of the decimation.

Chloe was cradling her face in her hands when she felt Max gently tap her shoulder. While Chloe deeply loved Max, all she wanted right now was to be left alone. _This…this is a part of my world and someone fucking destroyed it. This isn't fair! It isn't goddamn fair!_ Feeling Max tap her shoulder again, Chloe snapped her head up irritably.

" _What?"_ Chloe snapped, her eyes teary with blood running down her cheeks. Chloe just stared at Max as the other girl held her arm with her other hand.

"Um, I found th-this," Max said, feeling awkward at the look of pure misery on Chloe's face.

Chloe looked at Max's outstretched hand and felt the air rush out of her throat as she choked on it. Max was holding a strip of photos, the ones you typically get from a photo booth. Taking the pictures with a shaky hand, Chloe looked down at the old photos of her and Rachel Amber from before she had left Chloe behind. Bright and cheerful, Rachel had taken Chloe out on the anniversary of her dad's death to be there for her. Resentment and anguish plagued Chloe as she thought of how much Rachel had been there for her and Rachel leaving her behind. _Only to come back as some_ thing _that my best friend-turned-fiancé had to put down like an animal._ Chloe thought of the giddy look on Max's face when she had killed those animals and thought of how Max's might have felt when she had Rachel Amber's life in her hands.

"She wasn't all bad, y'know. She ditched me, and I fucking hate her for it, but she also saved me more than once," Chloe said to herself before looking up at Max, "Max…did you feel the way you did about killing her like you do with the animals you hunt? I'm not wanting to start anything. I just…I need to know."

"Che," Max said as she sat down next to Chloe, leaning herself into Chloe's shoulder, "I still feel terrible about things having to go the way they did. I knew it had to be done, but that doesn't mean I _wanted_ to do it. No, Chloe, if anything it was an act of survival."

Chloe felt Max loop an arm around her own, sliding small fingers into her hand. Clenching tightly onto the small hand, Chloe pressed the photo strip to her chest and wept at the violation of someone coming into what she had thought of as her 'home away from Hell' and tearing it apart. As Chloe shook, she felt something begin to pull at her stomach. Nearly oblivious to any sensation but grief at this point, she felt a tremor starting to build up inside her. Her sadness giving way to confusion, Chloe looked into herself and shuddered again at the thought of someone coming into her home uninvited and demolishing everything she had brought together over the years. _This was_ my _place. Mine. Someone came here and broke a part of my world. What the fuck?! What…the…_ fuck _!_

Chloe screamed as her fangs popped out, her anguish shifting into rage so fast that Max's hold slipped as Chloe tore out of the demolished shed. Max ran outside and watched as Chloe began to tear into wrecked cars and pieces of furniture left behind in the junkyard. Kicking her boot into cracked windshields, tearing apart anything that she could rip to pieces with her bare hands, Chloe was in a fury that Max knew was partly the result of her increased emotional sensitivity. Frowning, Max hoped that Chloe's mood swings from when she was human wouldn't make her vampiric emotions worse…and then she heard the blood-curdling scream from the direction of Chloe's truck.

Chloe couldn't think straight. Everything was a shade of red to her as she busted any window she could find, snapped furniture to pieces and kicked anything her foot was in range of. _Fuck this place, these people, fuck all of it!_ Chloe thought as she slammed her fists down onto an old car that hung over what she and Rachel had used as a shooting gallery. At the memory of Rachel, a new surge of anger flooded through Chloe as she pulled at the car's hood until it came off with the screech of metal against metal. Throwing the piece of junk into the air, Chloe's eyes frantically went from side to side until they fixed on her truck and she screamed again.

The windshield had been shattered, the mirrors broken off, and the tires slashed. A smell of acrid smoke came from under the hood as both Chloe and Max approached the truck. Whereas Max frowned in sadness over Chloe's loss of another treasure, Chloe's rage fed on this second-straight violation of her being and began to kick violently at the vehicle. Pounding away at a flattened tire with her boot, Chloe cried hot tears as she gritted her teeth and continued to bring her foot down on the deflated piece of rubber.

"Chloe, stop!" Max shouted, moving towards the enraged Chloe. Chloe bared her fangs at Max in response and hissed only to freeze in shock as Max's open palm connected with her face.

Everything came grinding to a sudden halt as Chloe felt a sting on her cheek. Dazed as the raging feelings in her instantly subsided, Chloe hesitantly put a hand to her cheek and looked at Max in horror. _She…she hit me. Max hit me. Why? Why would you do that, Max? I thought you were on my side?_ Chloe thought before Max dove into her and wrapped her arms around Chloe in a tight embrace.

"Please snap out it, Chloe! _Please!_ I need you to not do this!" Chloe heard Max plead as the churning blood in her system began to falter, "I know you're hurting. What's been done to you here is terrible, but I _need_ you to pull your feelings back in! You can't let yourself get lost in your anger, you can't! Y-Y-You might never find your way back and I _can't_ be this way without you!"

Chloe was completely still, her hand still on her cheek where Max had struck her. It wasn't like when David hit her or Frank, though. _She's terrified,_ Chloe thought, _Max is afraid of losing me, afraid I might never recover from getting so pissed off. Is being a vampire…does being like this make getting angry_ that _dangerous?_ Chloe felt her shoulders slump as ripples of exhaustion from her outburst began to hit her. _I wonder if she's talking from experience…_

Max felt Chloe's body tremble in her arms as her blue-haired wonder began to collapse from the physical and emotional strain. Cradling Chloe in her small arms, Max rocked back and forth slowly as the other girl wept. _She didn't deserve this happening,_ Max thought as she looked back at the shed and then at the truck. _She might stir up trouble, sure, but this was blatantly vicious._ Realizing that they had no way home, what with Chloe pretty much done for the night and Max still needing to take the spoils from their hunting back to the apartment, Max pulled out her phone to look at the time. _It's not too late. Maybe Joyce is still up. It's a risk, though. Just hope Joyce doesn't have any open cuts or anything._

"Chlo?" Max asked, moving Chloe around so that she wasn't laying in Max's lap anymore but leaning against her shoulder.

"Mmm?" the heartbreakingly weak response from Chloe crushed Max as she squeezed her own eyes shut to avoid crying from such a saddening voice.

"I'm going to call your mom, Che. If she's up, maybe she'll come here and give us a ride home," Max said in a soft tone, tilting her head down to kiss Chloe's blue hair.

"B-but what about-"

"Don't worry about our stuff. I'll come back here after we get you home. Chloe…hey, look at me," Max said, nudging Chloe's head with her chin until the other girl looked up at her with a blood-stained face, "Che, I need you to _be calm_ when we're heading back with Joyce. Right now, your feelings are a wreck and you're going to hear something that will make your hunger go crazy. I will be there to support you, hold you back if I have to, but I need you to be strong right now."

"What are you talking about…?" Chloe sighed as she began to sit herself up.

"You're going to hear your mom's _very human_ heartbeat, and it is going to make your hunger go crazy," Max said slowly, bracing Chloe's shoulders with her hands, "I need to know that you can try to focus on keeping yourself in control."

"Max, I'm not going to eat-"

"Chloe, stop. I know you have no _desire_ to, I know. But you will _want_ to. You'll want to feed on human blood the second you smell it, and I need you to take a step back and reign that hunger in," Max said, her tone cautioning.

"It can't be that bad, Max," Chloe said as she started to feel scared at the idea of wanting to feed on her own mother.

"It is. Believe me when I say that."

Calling Joyce up, Max sighed in mixed relief as the woman on the other line was up. Giving a brief detail of Chloe's truck being vandalized while they had been hanging out along the train tracks, Max had heard a heavy sigh on the other end before Joyce had let Max know that she would be there as soon as possible. Thanking Joyce multiple times over until the other line disconnected, Max slid her phone into her pocket and turned to watch Chloe.

Leaning against the truck, Chloe's head was downcast as she thought how such an amazing night had been shot straight to Hell. Her hideaway desecrated, her truck vandalized, Chloe felt incredibly vulnerable as Max walked up to her. Looking up at Max, Chloe felt relieved at the presence of her best friend and love but also a little hurt.

"You hit me," Chloe said with a pout, an anguished tone in her voice.

"I…I had to get you to snap out of it," Max pleaded apologetically, pulling Chloe into a gentle hug.

"But you hit me."

"…I know. I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm sorry about everything."

"What do you mean? Chloe asked, pulling herself back so that she was looking into Max's eyes.

"I-I can't help but think that if I hadn't come back all this might have never happened to you," Max said, a sad grimace on her face.

"Hey," Chloe said as she butted her forehead against Max's, "Don't even say that. I need you as much as you need me. Damn, Max, I can't even be sure I'd be fucking alive right now if you hadn't come back when you did. Frank could have killed me here months ago, but you saved me. You have a nasty habit of doing that, nerd," Chloe said with a weak smile."

"So I'm a nerd again?" Max said with a chuckle as she began to wipe at Chloe's bloody cheeks with a rag she had gotten from the truck.

"Dude, you'll always be a fucking nerd. But you're my nerd, SuperMax."

"And your my blue-haired wonder, Chloe Price."

"Forever?"

"I think we can swing that, yeah," Max said with a smile as she kissed Chloe's newly cleaned cheek, hearing a honk as Joyce's car began to make its way over the hill towards them.

 **Author's Note – Yeah, I know. "Wow, this is shorter than what it has been lately." It also feels better to me as a chapter length, though. 7500-9000 words isn't too wordy to turn people off from reading, but long enough to keep you all interested.**

 **While I did say that I would be reducing how much I put online, I think some of you mistook what I meant. I'm reducing the length, not the rate of updates. I have every intention of doing daily updates for as long as I'm able. I'll have to be starting on my Grad School thesis soon, and if I keep my word count down to what I mentioned in the previous paragraph I figure I can both work on this story and research for my final year of university.**

 **My family situation is a** _ **little**_ **better. The family member in question will be out of hospital in time for the cookout my parents are doing on the 4** **th** **of next month so I'll be heading down there to spend time with them. I'll still update, but it may be a little late in the day.**

 **Again, thanks to all the people wishing my family well. I really need it and those of you who have done so are fucking amazing in my book :D**

 **Read, review, and tell your friends *smirk***

 **Stay hella, cinnamon rolls!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Young Blood, from the song by The Naked and The Famous**

"Hey, Joyce," Max said as she shielded her eyes from the headlights of Joyce's old car, "Sorry about this."

"Don't be sorry, Max. You had nothin' to do with this," Joyce said as she looked over Chloe's truck with a grim look on her face, "Jesus Christ. D'you have any clue who might've done this?"

"No. We weren't really around when whatever happened went down," Max said, her tone giving away her worry.

"You're worried about Chloe."

"I'd be crazy if I weren't. She was…pretty upset." _Your daughter went on a blood-fueled rampage and if the junkyard was made of people she'd be a goddamn mass-murderer. Oh, and "Hey, Joyce!". Ugh._

"Well," Joyce said as she kicked at one of the truck's flat tires, "If you want to go get her, I'll take you all back to the diner. I've just got to clean up and then I'll drop you off at your place," Joyce said as she started to walk to her car.

"Clean up?" Max asked curiously, tilting her head, "Something happen?"

"Heh, only if you count the cook having to leave early because his wife is in labor. Day cook is probably three sheets to th' wind, so the diner's packing it in early tonight. Anyway, go find Chloe and drag her over here. The sooner, the better."

"Yes, ma'am," Max said, jokingly snapping a salute before heading back to where Chloe was currently residing.

Max heard the sound of something being moved around inside as she approached Chloe's hideout. Hesitant, Max stood outside the doorway for a moment. _She's been through a lot these past couple days. Maybe I should leave her be…_

"That you, hippie?" Max heard Chloe ask from inside, "Don't be shy, Max. Come on in." Looking away for a moment and sighing, Max walked around the corner into Chloe's lair.

Everything that had been burned or wrecked was gone. Max already knew that because she had helped Chloe clean the place out before Joyce showed up. What Max hadn't counted on was Chloe's determination. Where her benches had been sat two mismatched back seats from cars left behind in the junkyard. The table managing to survive, Chloe had her feet propped up on it as she reclined against the worn vinyl of an old car seat. One eye covered by her beanie, the other partly obscured by her unruly blue hair, Chloe's body language came of as guarded to Max until she saw a faint smile play across Chloe's lips.

"Hey, you," Chloe said in an exhausted but cheerful tone, "Join me for a moment of siesta?"

"Actually, your mom wants to get going," Max said apologetically, holding one arm with the other hand.

"Boooooo," Chloe bemoaned jokingly before standing up and brushing the dirt off her jeans. Walking over to one of the walls, Chloe pulled a large permanent marker out of a pocket, "Shall we commemorate the second coming of the Chloe Cave?"

"Not giving up, huh?" Max asked with a wry grin as she walked over to where Chloe was writing 'Chloe is STILL here', taking the offered marker to write 'Mad Max 2: Beyond Chloe-dome'.

"Never give up, never surrender!" Chloe cried out with a pump of her fist.

"…Did you just quote _Galaxy Quest_? Which one of us is the nerd?"

"Shushhhhh. Good day."

"Chloe, we should really get-"

"I said. Good. Day," Chloe said with a laugh before she took Max's hand in her own and began to head towards the bright headlights of Joyce's car, "Max, what am I going to do?"

"Let me protect you…and protect your mom _from_ you, if I have to," Max said confidently, stopping to kiss Chloe lightly on the lips. Both girls jumped and laughed as Joyce honked mid-kiss.

"Pack it in, you two! You're adorable, but I've got to close up the diner!" Joyce said from the car.

"We're going to the diner?" Chloe asked Max, a concerned look on her face.

"Uh, surprise?"

The drive back to Arcadia Bay was relatively quiet for the first few minutes, no one speaking as the car trailed down a dirt road towards the highway. Max and Chloe sat in the back, one of Max's hands clamped down on Chloe's let as she watched her fiancé grit her teeth while determinedly look out the window. While Joyce obviously didn't know why the girls were presently distressed, she did know something was up.

"You two okay?" Joyce asked, peering at them from her rearview mirror, "Y'all haven't talked any since you got in the car."

"Uh, just kind-of in shock I guess," Max said, glancing to look back at Joyce through the mirror, "I can't believe that someone would trash the truck like that. It's so mean." _Shit_ , Max thought as she felt Chloe's muscles tighten under her grip. Clamping down even harder, Max saw Chloe wince before she looked over at Max with an apologetic look and mouthed the word _Ouch_. _Sorry,_ Max mouthed back silently, glancing up again to see that Joyce was watching them.

"You okay, Chloe? You haven't said a thing," Chloe's mother asked, her tone relaying her concern.

"Just, I dunno, depressed…and mad. It's like they trashed a part of me," Chloe said, glancing over at Joyce quickly before looking back out the window.

"I know. I'm sorry, Chloe. Maybe with your work, you can save up enough to get everything replaced. In the meantime, when I'm at work you can feel free to come over and use my car," Joyce offered.

"Thanks," Max said as she saw the strained look on Chloe's face. Leaning over to her blue-haired partner, Max whispered "We're almost in town. Just concentrate and keep the hunger down. You're doing great, Che." before giving Chloe an encouraging kiss on the cheek. Chloe made to smile but Max's wide eyes let Chloe know that her fangs were still out.

 _Am I going to feel like this around everybody now?_ Chloe thought as Max pulled back from kissing her. _Wait. Is this how Max felt when she was with me all this time? Mom's not even bleeding anywhere and it's like I can smell the blood_ in _her, like it's hitting me in the goddamn face. I can hear her heart beating, and it is hella tearing me up. I'm_ so _hungry._ Chloe's stomach growled and she looked over to see the worried expression on Max's face. _Don't you dare let her down, Chloe! Like the lady said, I've got this._

"So, you want to tell me what happened?" Joyce said as they drove back towards Arcadia Bay.

"We don't know," Max hurriedly said, leaning against Chloe to support her struggling love, "We were hanging out in the woods by the railroad tracks. When we came back, someone had trashed the truck. We couldn't find any trace of whoever did it."

"Any trace? What are you Max, a private eye or something?" Joyce asked with a sad smile, "Chloe, I am _so_ sorry that someone would do something like that."

"Thanks. Um, if it's all the same to you, Mom, I think I'd just like to be quiet right now," Chloe replied, her head downcast to avoid Joyce getting a look at the fangs in her mouth or the dimly violet eyes. _Good thing I didn't fix my hat. Shit, how am I going to hide this in the diner?_

With Chloe's request to be left to her thoughts, the car ride back into town and to the diner was relatively silent, the only noise to sound of Joyce's car and the wind through the window Chloe had cracked open. When Joyce shivered at the briskness of the late October air, Max had nudged Chloe to roll the window up, Chloe momentarily forgetting that while the cold felt soothing to her it was still cold to her mom. _I just wish this night was over already,_ Chloe thought as they pulled into the Two Whales parking lot. _I want to just go home, curl up into a ball, and fucking cry. Maybe let Max be the big spoon. Maybe._

The sign above the diner was shut off as they all got out of Joyce's car, the lights still on inside but a closed sign hanging from inside the door. Max couldn't remember Two Whales _ever_ being closed, so the visual in front of her made her a little sad. _It's like a sadly momentous thing. I wonder how many lonely wanderers came here only to be turn away at the locked door._ Telling Joyce they'd come inside in a minute, Max sat on the hood of the car and held her arms open as Chloe slowly trudged her way to the loving arms of her fiancé.

"You did real good, Che," Max cooed into Chloe's ear as she felt Chloe's hands lightly play with the scruff of her neck, Chloe leaning her head on Max's shoulder, "I'm proud of you. _I_ sure didn't have the strength you showed just now when I was so young."

"Really?" Chloe asked, a pang of sadness in her voice from the desolation of her ride and her sanctuary, "You're like what, 3 in vampire years?"

"And you're one full day of age, Chloe," Max said, gently pushing at Chloe until they were face-to-face, "I know you're upset, about a _lot_ of things, but you not being able to nail down what I can do isn't the end of the world. It takes practice, and patience."

"I'm not exactly the most patient person, Max," Chloe said with a smirk as she leaned her forehead against Max's, "Oh. Oh, shit."

"What?" Max asked, her expression switching from caring to concern.

"I totally forgot. I have an appointment with Dana tomorrow to work on her ink some more. Fuck, Max, how am I gonna-"

"You'll have to cancel," Max said abruptly, cutting Chloe off, "You'll be stabbing Dana with a tattoo gun for possibly hours. While you've managed to make a go of it with your mom so far, an open wound with even the slightest amount of blood could send you off the rails again."

"…How long will it take for me to get better at this, Max?" I don't really feel like putting everything on fucking pause, dude," Chloe said, backing away from Max and the car to put a hand to her forehead, "And how am I going to hide my _eyes_ and _fangs_ from my mom?" Chloe punched Max playfully in the arm when Max snickered.

"Pull your beanie way down and don't smile. You know, how you are most of the time with your mom."

"Sarcasm _now_? You're so mean to me, Max Caulfield."

"Payback's a bitch, Chloe Price."

"Meanie."

"Baby."

"Asshole."

"Fragile little-"

" _Okay_. Fuck, I give," Chloe said as she offered Max a hand up before walking towards the door to Two Whales, pausing briefly to look at Max, "Why do I put up with your shit?"

"Because you _love_ me…and because I love you back just as much," Max said, briefly standing on her tip-toes to give Chloe an Eskimo kiss before they went inside.

Selecting their usual booth, Max and Chloe sat next to each other in the seat that faced the door. Max wanted a good view so that she would see Joyce coming and be prepared in case anything happened. The idea of Chloe losing it and attacking her own mother sent a shudder through Max, the image only breaking when she felt Chloe gently squeeze her hand. Looking over at Chloe, the other girl had opted to do as Max suggested. Her mouth clamped shut and beanie tugged down, Chloe was looking out from behind hair that she had strategically placed so that her mom couldn't get a good look at her eyes. Popping her the knuckles of her free hand, Max sighed in mild exhaustion from the past couple days as Joyce walked over with a couple slices of apple pie.

"Still pretty fresh. Thought you two might like somethin'," Joyce said with a warm smile before going back behind the counter. Max had instinctively squeezed Chloe's hand tightly in case she needed to restrain her newbie vampire lover, and felt a measure of relief in Chloe not even flinching. Taking one of the slices of pie, Max picked at it a bit with her fork before cutting a small piece up and waving it next to Chloe's head.

"Dude, that is the _last_ thing I'm hungry for," Chloe said, glancing over at Max from the corner of her eye, "Go crazy with my slice if you want."

Max pouted, but didn't move where her fork was. _Eat the goddamn pie, Chloe!_ _You still love the stuff and you know it._

"You have to keep up appearances. Plus, it might make you feel better. You _know_ you want it," Max said teasingly, waving the small bite of dessert in small circles next to Chloe's head. Max saw through the window's reflection that Chloe smirked at her insistence on eating the piece of pie.

Chloe slowly turned to look at Max and opened her mouth just enough so that Max could fit the small morsel of sweetness into her mouth. Clamping down on the fork, Chloe playfully forced Max to tug at the fork a bit before releasing the utensil from her mouth. Chewing the spiced apple and pie crust, Chloe closed her eyes as the flavor calmed her nerves a bit. The memory of all the times she had come to the diner, all the times her mom had baked at home, instilled in her a measure of peace and Chloe couldn't help but chuckle when she saw Max fork another piece of pie and wave it in her smiling face. _Sometimes I don't think I deserve your sweetness, Max. Sure, we butt heads on occasion. You always seem to move past it so hella fast, though. You must_ really _love me, like amazeballs love me. I don't know if I deserve you, but I sure as fuck am glad that I have you._

Joyce was almost finished, wrapping up some cleaning in the kitchen area, when she peeked through the drop-off window that opened out into the diner and became misty-eyed as she watched Max and Chloe feed each other small pieces of pie, giggling and making sarcastic jokes between mouthfuls. _I am_ so _glad Max came back for Chloe. Max may never really fathom how much Chloe missed her, Chloe's not being the type to fully let out her feelings like she was when Max still lived here. I'm just happy they found each other._

"C'mon, lovebirds. Store's closed," Max heard Joyce say as she walked out from the back of the diner, "You two can leave the plates here behind the counter. Just scrape off what you don't eat into the trash and rinse the plates off before we go, okay?"

Max had laughed when Chloe complained about having to clean the dishes in a restaurant that gave her free food, but one stern look from Joyce resulted in Chloe making a beeline for the kitchen with Max trailing along behind her. The girls using the dual-sink counter toward the very back of the diner, Max playful splashed Chloe with the icy water she was using to rinse off her plate, bolting out the kitchen door and into the dining area before Chloe could retaliate.

Hearing Chloe yell "Fucking bratty Max Caulfield!" after her as she sat next to the waiting Joyce, Max busted up laughing as she saw Joyce's amused face. Feeling Joyce place a hand on her shoulder, Max's face grew serious when she saw the look Joyce was giving her.

"Uh, is something wrong?" Max asked, seeing Joyce's other hand fumble in her jacket pocket. Pulling out a small box, Joyce waved it as Chloe came out and saw the two of them sitting together.

"Chloe, if you're going to do this… _be_ with Max…you need to do it proper," Joyce said as she got up and put the small box in the suddenly nervous Chloe's hands. Her lips parting slightly as she opened the small jewelry box, Chloe's head snapped up as she looked at her mom. _Thank Dog her eyes have gone back to normal_ , Max thought, her mind wandering before she saw Chloe move to sit next to her.

"Chlo?" Max asked, curious as to her fiancé's suddenly serious demeanor.

"Max, you know that I'm not exactly the most touchy-feely kind of person. I screw shit up. A lot. But…but I really want to get this right, so here goes…," Chloe said as she knelt on one knee in front of Max, lifting up the jewelry box to reveal an antique gold band, "Max Caulfield, will you fucking marry me?"

If Max hadn't fed an hour or so ago, she was pretty sure she would have fainted. She figured that she must look pretty shocked, because she could have sworn that she heard Joyce say "Max? Hunny?" with a very concerned tone. _She's already asked me once, and I told her yes. But this…I didn't expect, well,_ this. _Wowsers. Wowser-fucking-wowsers._ Max took a moment to wipe a tear from her eye, discreetly checking and sighing in relief at the clear drop on her finger, before gazing into Chloe's seemingly endless, iridescent blue eyes.

"Yes," Max said, feeling her throat constrict as she became choked up, "Yes, I totally will."

Hearing Joyce gasp and sniffle, Max held out her hand and let Chloe place the small band signifying a promise between the two of them on her finger. Holding her hand up to her face, Max brought into a small fit of choking sobs as she couldn't stop smiling. Feeling Chloe's arms wrap around her, Max continued to sob happy tears as she both laughed and cried. _Did they plan this?_ Max thought before shaking her head. _You know what? Fuck it if they did. This is wonderful._

"I love you _so_ _much_ , Chloe," Max murmured into Chloe's chest as she pressed her face deeper into the other girl's shirt.

"…I love you too, Max," Chloe said, leaning down to whisper "And now I can _really_ mean it when I say 'Forever'. Hella _yes._ "

Chloe's demeanor visibly changed when they hopped in Joyce's car for the ride to her and Max's apartment. It was like all of her senses were locked onto Max and _only_ Max, watching in awe as Max just keep sneaking glances at the ring on her finger as she played with the necklace Chloe had given her. _She is so freaking cute. Hella fucking cute._ Amazeballs _cute_ , Chloe thought as she wrapped an arm around Max's shoulders and leaned her head up against her fiancé's. Not noticing at first, Chloe became aware as Joyce pulled up to their building that she didn't feel even remotely hungry, couldn't hear Joyce's heartbeat or smell anything. All she could see, all she could feel, was the wondrous little Max Caulfield in her arms.

"Is this how it is for you?" Chloe asked in a hushed voice as she slowly got out of the car, "Am I your anchor like you are mine right now?"

"You catch on quick, Chloe Price," Max said with a smirk and a wink as she took Chloe's hand, "Unlike you, I'm _hella_ mushy so I don't mind admitting that my love for you has pretty much pulled me through everything the past three years."

 _Holy shit. Three years?_ "Three years?" Chloe asked, sounding stupefied.

"All three years of this," Max said, licking her teeth as an implication of her vampiric state before she flashed Chloe a bright smile, "And now I get _way_ longer."

"Hella longer."

Getting a long hug from Joyce before she got teary-eyed again, Max pulled back and smiled at Joyce before Chloe's mother got back in her car and headed off to her own home. Turning around to see Chloe waiting for her with an impish smile, Max put a hand on her hip and smirked.

"I don't like that look," Max said as she walked over to Chloe, "What are you up to, Chloe Price?"

"Why nothing, Max Caulfield-Price," Chloe said, feigning innocence.

"Price-Caulfield."

"Cauliflower Reasonably Priced?"

" _Ugh._ How about…Pricefield?" Both girls looked at each other for a moment before they busted up laughing.

Chloe and Max walked hand-in-hand around the back to the apartment before Max stopped, Chloe getting slightly yanked back as she felt Max let go of her hand. Turning around, Chloe saw Max pulling her helmet on and looked at her fiancé with a confused look before she remembered.

"The blood," Chloe said knowingly, "I totally forgot."

"Yeah. In the wake of getting a _gorgeous engagement ring_ , I nearly forgot too," Max said as she shot another dazzling smile at Chloe, "But we're completely out upstairs and it's definitely best if I go and grab it _now_ while it is still dark out. Obviously."

"Obviously. Hey," Chloe said as she stepped over to Max, the other girl already seated on her Vespa, "Want some company of the Chloe kind?"

"Mmm, that sounds nice," Max said as she tilted her head up to meet Chloe's approaching lips in a loving kiss, "But you'll have to carry the bag while I'm steering. You okay being my sidekick again?"

"I _am_ your sidekick, Bat-Max," Chloe said as she hopped behind Max on the seat.

Max made a point of taking a longer way around to the junkyard, driving though more of Arcadia Bay than needed so she could enjoy feeling Chloe pressed into her with those long arms of Chloe's wrapped tightly around her waist. _She doesn't seem so scared of my driving skills anymore,_ Max thought with a grin as she revved up the scooter's engine as Chloe broke the silence with a gleeful shriek. Arriving at the junkyard, Max decided it would be best to avoid the truck so she shot straight past it into the junkyard. Stopping only a moment to go and collect the bag containing their essentials, Max handed it to a slightly forlorn Chloe and kissed her fiancé on the cheek before gunning her Vespa's throttle and speeding back out of the junkyard quicker than she had driven into it. _She doesn't need this right now. She needs me, and I need her_.

"What do you say about us getting drunk when we get home?" Max shouted back at Chloe as she sped down the hill and onto the highway.

"Hella _yes_!" Chloe replied, getting a loud giggle from Max in return. _She totally just saved me. Again. Keep saving me and I might marry you, Caulfield. Oops, too fucking late._

Bringing their haul into the kitchen, Max and Chloe rinsed the dirt and drippings off of the jugs before sliding them into the freezer. A bottle of Goldschlager each, they both walked into the bedroom and Chloe looked at Max in surprise as she took a large gulp of the hard liquor. _Whoa,_ Chloe thought as Max took one more mouthful before settling the bottle down before reaching for her laptop, _I've seen her drink before, but that was just…whoa._ Opening her own bottle, Chloe sniffed at the strong cinnamon smell and closed her eyes as she felt the hot burn of the schnapps run down her throat. Swallowing a mouthful, Chloe coughed a bit as she pulled the bottle from her lips from the momentary heat in her mouth. Smacking her lips together, Chloe looked over at a bemused Max.

"My mouth is warm. My whole body is warm," Chloe said in a moment of befuddlement, "Is _that_ why I've seen you drink only this?" Chloe felt her whole body tighten as Max responded by kissing Chloe softly on the lips, a cinnamon-flavored tongue into her mouth as Max let out a small moan of pleasure when Chloe reciprocated with her own tongue. Max pulled back with a look of contentment as she powered her laptop on.

"It _is_ part of it," Max said, scrolling through her video library, "At first, I just got it because I remembered your remark about my cinnamon gum. Then I drank it and realized that it made my mouth really hot for a few minutes or so. The warmth is a nice change."

"So. You're getting me liquored up, Caulfield. We about to engage in wild and sexy shenanigans?" Chloe said before looking down at Max's video library, "What we watchin'?"

"We only watched _half_ of _FLCL_ ," Max said, "And while we could both use some rest, I thought we could maybe watch some _Hellsing_."

"You want us to watch an anime about vampires? You're such a fucking cliché."

"Coming from the other vampire in the room," Max said, her grin faltering as she saw the thoughtful look on Chloe's face, "Che…?"

"You've been a little more, uh, vocal about being a vampire lately," Chloe said in a pensive tone before breaking into a grin, "Wouldn't happen to have anything to do with moi, would it?"

"Shit, my cover's blown!" Max said, scrunching her nose as she stuck out her tongue, "You…you make me feel like I can relax a bit, Chloe, now that you're in this with me."

"Still regret what happened?" Chloe asked, seeing a faraway look on Max's face.  
"Honestly, I think there will always be a part of me that's sad about it," Max said before cupping a saddened Chloe's cheek, "That doesn't mean that I'm not happy to share this life with you, Che. It's just that I hadn't planned for this, and if I had gone down this road with you I would have liked it to have been a… _nicer_ experience. Truth be told, I didn't even _know_ I would be able to turn you. It's why when you showed up on the hilltop I freaked out. I thought that I had lost you, and then you crawled to me like something out of a horror movie."

"We _are_ something out of a horror movie," Chloe replied, poking Max in the ribs.

"A _gay_ horror movie," Max retorted before starting up the video.

Max and Chloe sat in bed, sharing the first and second bottles of cinnamon liquor until they were both empty, watching hour after hour of anime. Max would occasionally ruffle Chloe's blue hair and tease her about her closeted nerdiness, which would result in Max having to put the laptop on her bedside table to avoid it getting kicked off the bed as Chloe and her fooled around. Still the weaker of the two, Chloe was able to tap into some of her newfound strength and surprised Max once or twice by pinning the smaller girl to the bed. Other times, Chloe had let out a giggling " _Whoa!_ " as Max would toss her off so hard that Chloe would fly straight up and nearly smack into the ceiling.

Eventually, _begrudgingly_ to both of them, the two lovers began to feel the effects of the past two days' exhaustive trials and curled up in bed. Lifting the covers intermittently to toss their clothes on the floor, Max felt Chloe curl up next to her. Facing away from Max, Chloe let out a contented sigh as Max pressed against her back and wrapped her slender arms around Chloe's waist. Sleep overpowering her, Max fell asleep with Chloe's blue hair in her face, the smell of chemicals and pot smoke wafting around them in an airy cocoon of familiarity.

Max woke up to the sound of the doorknob being violently rattled. Her eyes snapping open, Max took a second to ensure that Chloe was safely next to her in bed before sprinting to the hallway. Moving stealthily to the door, Max felt her fangs pop out at the possibility that this could be whoever trashed Chloe's hideout and truck as the door was unlocked and slowly pushed open. Deftly weaving her arm between the swinging door and the wall, Max shot her arm out and pulled a startled Maeve inside. Slamming her friend into the wall, Max hissed for a moment before realization of who had broken into her house connected with the rest of her being. Slowly sliding Maeve down so that she was standing under her own power, Max let go of Maeve's throat but left her fangs out. _What the crap?!_

"What the _fuck_ , Maeve? And you, Stephen?" Max asked in irritation, "You were just here. Did you think you couldn't just _knock_?"

Her two friends sharing an awkward look between themselves, Max's anger mixed with a growing apprehension. _They wouldn't just break into my home. Something's wrong._ Hearing Chloe's rapid footsteps, Max defensively held Chloe behind her as she made a low growl.

"What do you want?" Max asked, her voice low and aggressive.

"We're here as an advance," Maeve said, her tone saddened, "In truth, tho', we were hopin' to nae find ye here. S'why we tried to break in."

Stephen typed into his phone, the device dictating "We're sorry, Max. I said we should knock, but my sister's a bloody idiot." Maeve curled her upper lip and slapped her brother's arm in disapproval.

"What do you mean by 'advance'?" Max asked, holding onto Chloe as they stood where the hallway led out into the apartment.

"Word's spread tha' Antony came here, and tha' now he's missin'," Maeve said, holding her open hands out along her sides in apology, "Th' only thing that coulda kept him is _you_. Max…what did you do?"

Looking back and seeing Chloe's confused face, Max took her fiancé's hand and gestured for her two friends to come inside. Max lead Maeve and Stephen to the couch before taking the chair with Chloe sitting on one of the chair's armrests, neither girl willing to let go of the other's hand. Seeing the way the Max and Chloe were holding onto each other, Stephen noticed Max's newest piece of jewelry and gave both girls an enthusiastic thumbs-up. That eased the tension as Maeve looked where Stephen was looking and dropped her jaw in wonder.

"You're _engaged_?" Maeve asked incredulously, " _Why_ does he know about it first?!"

"Because _he_ came to visit," Max said, a slight smirk on her face before her eyes grew cold, "What is this _advance_ you were talking about?" Max watched Maeve open her mouth to respond only to have Stephen put a hand on her arm to silence her. Flipping through his phone, Stephen laid it down on the coffee table and clicked on an audio file.

" _The Caulfield girl is to be brought here immediately for subjugation. An accidental nuisance at first, the child has displayed a hatred against her own kind that cannot be allowed to continue. While I understand you two are her friends, you are also members of this community and your own transgressions in aiding her seclusion will be rectified in bringing her to me. You can relax in the knowledge that she her death will be swift, as quick as she fell our kin. Investigate the disappearance of Antony and report back here with her regardless of what you find."_

Max felt her skin crawl. _I knew this would happen eventually. I just wish I had more time. Time for me and Chloe to really_ be _together. Oh, fuck. Chloe. Nononono._ Max's lips quivered as her body began to tremble, her only refuge coming in the form of Chloe leaning over to wrap her arms around the shivering form of her fiancé. Both girls choked back tears and instinctive gasps for air before Max looked over in sudden confusion. Stephen was staring at Chloe.

"What?" Max said, her tone heartbreakingly sad as a sob escaped along with the question, "What is it? Please… _please_ tell me that she doesn't have to go as well. She doesn't deserve that, you know it!" Max leapt out of the chair, holding onto a bewildered Chloe.

"It's not that at all, Max," Stephen's dictation app spoke as hey typed feverishly into it, "Max. Did you turn her?" Maeve's head snapped from looking at her brother to the two girls sitting across from her as her eyes widened.

"Ripper," Maeve said in a pleading tone, "Did yeh _turn_ her?" Both Maeve and Stephen let out a gasp as they took in air at the shock of Chloe snapping her fangs out as the severity of what was happening finally hit her.

"Bloody hell!" Maeve yelled in astonishment as Max and Chloe both bared their fangs defensively, "Max, yer takin' our surprise th' wrong way! Ye don't unnerstand! This changes _everything_!"

Chloe let out a snarl before seeing Max's expression change as she listened to Maeve's outcry. _Dude, they're here so they deliver you to a death sentence! Fuck this!_ Chloe tried to spring out at the two people who had invaded her and Max's home only to feel a vice-like grip rein her back. Looking at the small hand in shock, Chloe looked incredulously at Max as the still-seated girl shook her head and gestured for Chloe to sit back down. _Max, what the fuck is wrong with you?! You can't listen to a bit of what these fucks have to say! They're here to help kill you, they're not your friends anymore!_

"Max, lemme _go_!" Chloe said angrily as she tried to pry Max's fingers loose. _Goddamn, she's so strong! She was totally holding back while I was still alive, Jesus_ fuck _!_

"Sit down, Che," Max said, her tone authoritative and shocking Chloe out of her anger. Petulantly, Chloe looked at Max with a worried expression before sitting back down on the armrest.

Max noticed her brief display with Chloe seemed to only encourage the astonishment of Maeve and Stephen. Her brow furrowed; she was still furious with them, but was now as puzzled as she was when they had broken in a moment ago. _What just happened? First they say they're here to send me to my death, and now they're looking at me like I'm a Festivus miracle?_

"Uh, what?" Max asked, beginning to feel embarrassed at the stares despite the situation, " _What_?" Stephen answered her query with a rapid typing on his phone's screen.

"Max, do you know how rare it is to find a vampire that is able to turn humans?" Stephen's phone read off, "What the hell made you do this?"

"She fucking saved me!" Chloe shouted, biting her lip at the shocked looks from her sudden outburst, "Your fucking guy, Andrew, tried to rip my throat out when Max hella saved me. She didn't even think she _had_ , dude! She was just as shocked as you are when I made my way to her!"

Maeve covered her hand with her mouth as she sprung up from the couch. Hesitantly, she approached the two hostile girls and kneeled next to the chair as she looked at them both in wonder.

"Max, this might keep ye outta trouble," Maeve said with partially contained excitement as she placed a hand on the unoccupied armrest, "If ye can _make_ a vampire, they might have nae choice but to spare ye!"

"They won't have any choice," Stephen chimed in, "She's a Maker."

"But I don't _want_ to make more like us, like me and Chloe," Max said, a hint of revulsion on her face at the thought of everything that would entail. An image of a conveyor belt with unconscious people popped into Max's mind, with her at the end as she drained each person and bled into their mouths.

Flinching internally, Max watched the bodies of Dana, Juliet, Kate, and Joyce move up on the conveyor as she felt a greedy hunger begin to overtake her. _No!_ Max thought as she leapt out of the chair, toppling both Maeve and Chloe as the force of her movement knocked the chair back and into the wall a small distance behind her. "Do you have any idea how _sick_ _it is_ to do that? Chloe was _dying_ , and even then I did it reluctantly! Now you're saying that I would turn people like…like I'm chattel or something?! _Fuck you_!"

"Max, _please_ -" Maeve tried to plead as she sat back down next to her brother only to leap out of the way as Max lifted the chair and threw it at both Maeve and Stephen, any attempt at calming the young vampire by cut off by a sudden scream of rage from Max.

"Do you not remember what I went through?! I was _violated_ , drugged and pulled into a building where _my life was sucked out of me!_ Why do you think I've never killed a human? Why was Chloe the only human I _ever_ fed off of? It's because the memory of that violation, that _assault_ , remains _in my head_!" Max yelled, finally admitting the truth to herself. _I've…I've always known. I just try not to think about it._ "So FUCK YOU! Fuck you and whoever sent you! You want to try and kill me? Fine! _I'll_ fucking kill _all of you_!"

"Max, baby, please calm down," Chloe pleaded, wrapping her arms around her enraged fiancé in an attempt to get her to snap out of it. _My turn to save you! Please, Max! Snap out of it!_

Max snarled as she fought the surprisingly strong grip Chloe had on her, hissing at Maeve and Stephen as they backed away toward the hallway. Max felt a pang of anguish at Chloe seeing her like this, but was still furious at the broken trust of her now-former friends as she glared at them hatefully.

"Run! Go ahead, see what it's like to be on the run! I was for _three fucking years_ because one of you couldn't fucking finish the job right! I'm your nightmare, right? _'Ripper'_? Fucking payback, that's what I am, if I ever see another vampire in this town! _Get the fuck out_!"

Max raged as she grabbed the tripod from her photography area and launched it like a spear at the space where Maeve's head had been, feeling a moment of malevolent satisfaction as it was buried inches into the wall next to the hallway entrance. Seeing Maeve and Stephen hurriedly sprint out the open apartment door, Max howled in pain. Pain from her death, from her time on the run and all the horrible things she'd done to survive. Mostly, though, Max bawled from the image of Chloe dying on the lighthouse path, her statement of how cool Max was leaving Max with a bitterness. _I'm not cool, Chloe! I'm a monster!_

Chloe felt the trembling form of Max begin to grow slack in her arms before clutching on tighter so that her fiancé didn't fall on the floor. Hoisting Max up over her shoulders, she carried Max to the bedroom and laid the whimpering girl on the bed, heartbroken as Max curled herself into a ball while red tears welled up from her eyes. _God, Max. Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say anything? Oh Jesus…Max, were you raped…? No, no no no no._ Chloe sat down next to Max and rubbed her back, feeling the small tremors of Max's shaking body as she quivered inside the blankets.

"Max…oh, I'm so sorry, sweetie," Chloe said as she gently ran her fingers through coppery strands of brunette hair, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I-I-It only j-just came back to me. I re-remembered it a-after I saw you c-crawl to me at the lighthouse…," Max said between sobs, stuttering and stammering as she choked on her own words, "I didn't want to say anything because i-it horrifies me j-just to think about it, never mind t-that I did _that_ t-to you. _Chloe_ …Chloe, _please. Please_ forgive me."

Chloe was speechless, all she could do was slowly lay next to Max and wrap herself around her grief-stricken fiancé until they had both fallen back to a restless sleep, each of them being the other's private sanctuary.

When Chloe woke up Max wasn't in bed. Hearing the shower going, Chloe sighed in relief at the idea of the Max from last night going out by herself in the state she was in. Looking down at the bed, Chloe saw a small reddish stain and realized it was from Max's tears. Frowning, Chloe grabbed the bedding and tossed it onto the floor before searching the dresser for fresh sheets. Finding a set still sealed in its store packaging, Chloe hastily made the bed as Max numbly came out of the bathroom in in a towel, her eyes glazed and lifeless. Chloe leaned over to try and get a smile out of Max by smiling herself, but Max barely acknowledged her. _Is she in shock? She might be in shock. Shit, what was that shrink's name? Fuck!_

Chloe watched as Max's hand hesitated when she went to pull a shirt from her rack of clothes. Seeing Max's ambivalence and lack of interest, Chloe walked around the bed so that she could take Max by the hand and sit her down on the bed. Turning back, Chloe presented the clothes like she was a magician's assistant or the lady from _Wheel of Fortune_.

"This shirt?" Chloe said as she pointed at each shirt to see no emotion or physical response from Max. _She's practically fucking catatonic. Oh man, this is hella fucked._ "C'mon, Max, help a sista out."

Chloe saw a flicker of interest as Max shrugged, saying "I don't care. You pick." Before fading away again. _Alright, Max. Baby steps it is, then. Imma make you boo-ti-ful, Maxaroni._ Going through Max's entire wardrobe, Chloe selected an ensemble that she admitted was more _her_ taste than Max's. _Well, I_ do _look good on her. Nice one, Price. Max is a bad influence on my humor skills, fucking puns._

Max had been immovable, so Chloe had dressed Max herself, gently going through the motions. One of Max's combat-looking olive drab skirts, a thermal shirt, and a grey sleeveless hoodie, Chloe was putting socks on Max's feet when she heard a soft whimper. Looking up, Chloe saw Max looking down at her with small pools of clear tears forming in her eyes. Straightening herself, Chloe pulled off her sleep shirt and wiped at Max's face with it as Max sniffled.

"I-I killed you. How can you love something like me…?" Chloe heard Max ask, Chloe's heart breaking at the resigned tone of self-loathing in Max's voice, "I d-don't deserve you. You should hate me b-because I did to you w-what was done to me…"

"No. No no, sweet baby, I don't hate you. Max, I could never really hate you. You _saved_ me. I wouldn't be here now, _right now_ , if it weren't for you," Chloe said, taking Max's hands into hers and kissing the tips of her fiancé's fingers, "Oh, Max. I would be dead and gone when all I want is to be here with you now, and you brought me back. Besides, you should know by now that you can't get rid of me that easily by now, Maxine Caulfield."

"I hate that name," Max said, grimacing at the use of her full name, "Did you just do that? Ugh, why?"

"How the fuck else am I supposed to get a rise out of you, my sweet little nerd. My Mad-as-Fuck Max. You fucking kicked ass last night. I knew you had a temper, but _damn_."

"I hate it when you see me like that."

"But I _need_ to, Max. We hella need to see every fucking nook and goddamn cranny of each other. You've seen how ugly I get, and you've held a… _considerable_ chunk of your badassery since you've been back in Arcadia Bay. You don't need me to front, but I don't want you to have to front, either. We have a world, a life, together and I can't do this without you."

Chloe worried when Max began to cry again before feeling relief as Max slid off the bed and wrapped her arms around Chloe, Max latching onto her with her vice-like little hands. Chloe tried to lift them both up only to smirk as she felt Max plant her knees onto the floor and yank Chloe down at the waist. Slumping down, Chloe wrapped her arms around Max in kind. Chloe doesn't know how long they knelt there like that; she just closed her eyes and waited for Max to break the hug first, not wanting to let her Maxaroni go.

Chloe heard Max's phone go off and groaned slightly at the intrusion, chuckling as she heard Max sigh at the same time she'd vented her frustration. Feeling Max pull back, Chloe let Max go and watched as her tired-looking fiancé crawled on her knees to the bedside table. Watching Max sit up against the bedside table for a moment to make sure she didn't break down again, Chloe stood up and walked over to the bathroom to take a shower. Leaving the door open in case Max needed her, Chloe splashed at the hot water coming from the bathtub faucet before she switched the water's flow to the shower head and climbed in. Chloe let the water hit the back of her neck as she leaned against the wall opposite the shower head, listening to make sure Max was doing as okay as she could be. _Helluva night, Max. Hell of a fucking night._

Coming out of the bathroom, Chloe heard some noise coming from the kitchen and went to investigate. Sipping from a straw, Max was holding a Styrofoam cup in one hand while pouring a bowl of cereal with the other. Realizing that Max was completely zoned-out, Chloe thought for a moment about pouncing on her little fiancé before deciding that she probably shouldn't. Walking back into the bedroom, Chloe quickly changed into some blue jeans and a red tank-top that had the Ramones logo emblazoned in back across the entire front. Walking barefoot as into the living room area as she ran a hand through her wet and unruly hair, Chloe watched as Max pulled the chair across the living room floor and tried to resituate it from where she had tossed it the other night.

"Hey," Max said, not looking at Chloe as she made a face at the broken leg of the chair. Chloe smirked as Max lopped the other legs off of the upholstered piece of furniture before setting it on the floor with a _thud_ , "There's a bowl of cereal with your name on it."

"Gracias, mademoiselle," Chloe said as she went over to the kitchen and filled up her own Styrofoam cup while snatching the bowl off the kitchen counter, "Wait. This is gonna taste hella gross, isn't it?"

Not getting a response as Max continued working on the apartment, Chloe took a bit of cereal and a slurp from her cup before nearly gagging. _Yep, totally hella gross,_ Chloe thought as she set the bowl down and opted to get her real meal down first. Cringing a little at the taste, _I am only two days old, haha_ , Chloe sipped slowly at her beverage as she watched Max try to pull out the tripod she had used as a spear. _She looks so tired._

"Do you want some help, dude?" Chloe asked as she set down her empty cup.

"No thanks," Max replied as she yanked the tripod out of the wall, taking bits of the wall with it. Chloe thought she heard a mumbled "Fucker" but didn't pay any attention to it. Seeing Max's phone buzz on the coffee table, Chloe reached out for it and looked at the notification.

"Kate seems pretty worried, Max. She's got a fucking book of psalms lined up in your phone," Chloe said with a smirk as she set the phone beside her, "Hey. Come sit. Please?"

Max shuffled over from where she was messing with some photography equipment that had been a victim of her rampage the night before and sat next to Chloe, leaning her body against the taller girl's side. Looking at the bowl of cereal, Max looked up at Chloe with a pout.

"You didn't like it?" Max asked simply, her tone neutral.

"You have _no_ idea that cereal tastes like if you're also drinking blood at the same time, do you?" Chloe asked, rolling her eyes as she felt Max shrug. "Max, don't retreat into your shell, okay? I know that you're hurting hella bad right now and I just want to be here for you. Okay?"

"…Okay," Max said, looping her arm around Chloe's, "I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm sorry about last night, I'm-"

"You don't have to be sorry about anything, Max," Chloe said as she looped her arm back so that she could run her fingers through Max's hair, "You absolutely _do not_ need to be sorry. We do need to talk, though. What was all that weird-ass shit your buds-"

"They're _not_ my 'buds'," Max snapped, "At least, not anymore."

"…Okay. What did they mean by you being some type of ultra-rare unicorn of a vampire, though?" Chloe asked, pausing before she spoke to make sure Max wasn't going to blow up again.

"I don't know," Max said, her voice overly quiet as she realized she snapped at Chloe, "I didn't get the full course of Vampire 101. I just learned the basics and how to defend myself."

"Well shit. Would be fucking nice to know what the deal is. At least it sounded like they might not drop from the roof like ninjas for a bit. I've think that we've both reached the _max_ imum threshold of bull and shit."

"Really? _Max_ imum?" Max said, peering up at Chloe with the faintest hint of a smirk.

"Your license to pun is rubbing off on me, nerd," Chloe said, kissing Max on the forehead. _Baby steps, Max. Even if it takes a while, make your way back to me._ Chloe looked between them as they both felt Max's phone go off again. _Bet that's Kate._

"Uh, hey Kate," Max said in a weary voice as she answered her phone, "No, it's not a bad time. What? I haven't been avoiding anybody. It's just been a really bad few days…"

 _Booyah. Knew it was Kate,_ Chloe thought as she pulled out her own phone and sent a message to Kate as Max talked to her.

 **Chloe: Kate I need ur halp**

 **Kate: I'm on the phone with Max can u wait?**

 **Chloe: emergency and I'm home with her so no**

 **Chloe: are u free rite nao?**

 **Kate: yes y?**

 **Chloe: can u meet us at 2 whales? Max is hella depressed and could use another friendly face besides my hotness**

 **Kate: u sure?**

 **Chloe: invite her and don't take no for an answer, Lady Jesus**

 **Kate: ur a blasphemer, but I luv u 2 anyway ;)**

 **Chloe: NO EMOJI**

 **Kate: YES EMOJI XD**

Chloe pocketed her phone before Max could see her as the small brunette wandered around the apartment while talking to Kate. A strained smile on her face, Max ended the call after a couple more minutes and looked over at Chloe with an irritated look.

"…Wanna go to the diner with me?" Max asked, not realizing the duplicitous act having occurred around her, "Kate wants to meet for breakfast. She's worried and I…I could use some quality Kate time."

"You sure you want me tagging along?" Chloe asked, trying to play innocent, "What about the whole 'smell of human blood' thing?"

"What snapped you out of that last night as Joyce was driving us here?"

"Well, you. If Kate's going to be there, though, then it wouldn't be easy for me to _not_ notice Kate's…uh…"

"Her heartbeat?" Max asked as she put a hand on her hip.

"Yeah. I just don't think it is a good idea."

"Drink another cup's worth, then, and just _come with me_. Please, Che. I need you with me," Max said, plodding over and kneeling next to Chloe, her hands raised as though in prayer, "I don't really want to go but I will feel even worse if I stand Kate up. _Please_."

"And if I start to Hulk out?" Chloe asked.

"Max smash," Max replied, another faint smirk.

 _Baby steps, Chloe. Bring her back with baby steps._

 **Author's Note –**

telephone

 **1 (877) 995-5247**

 **I'm honestly drained so I can't think of anything with this note except to say that I hope everyone who was an interested party in yesterday's Supreme Court ruling took a moment to celebrate the achievement of nationwide marriage equality. While it is true that there is** _ **still**_ **a lot of work to do it important to note the achievements and progression as well.**

 **I thank you all once more for all the well-wishes I have received here and on my Tumblr (and thanks to those of you who talk to me on there as well!). You're all cinnamon rolls, and I hope you enjoy your day**

 **Read, review, and I will see you all next chapter.**

 **Stay hella!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Something I Can Never Have** _ **,**_ **from the song by** _ **Nine Inch Nails**_

 **Note – Buckle the f**k up for the end. You'll know what I mean _when you get there._**

 **2010**

"Uh, where are we going?" Max heard herself say, though for a second the words and her mind did not seem to fully connect with each other, "Hey, you're hurting my wrist! This is all just so…so…"

Max had reluctantly been pushed into attending the party she was now at, the scarce few friends she had managed to make _and_ _keep_ attempting to get her out of her shell. Max had danced with them for a bit before going over to the makeshift bar someone had built. She was in the process of buying a soda when one of the other partygoers had approached her and they started talking.

 _He seems alright, I guess_ , Max had thought as the conversation continued for what felt like an hour, the two of them talking about his passion for music and her interest in pursuing a career in photography. He was friendly enough, and didn't _seem_ like he was trying to make a move on her. _Good thing he isn't. He's_ definitely _not my type_. When he had dropped his phone as he was trying to get her Facebook info, she had knelt down to grab it before handing it back and taking a sip of her soda. The refreshing tingle of the bubbles gave way to a slightly lightheaded feeling that wasn't unpleasant to Max. _Maybe this is me, feeling better for a change rather than moping in my room back home._

Max had spent the past two years in a conflicted state. While she had always come incredibly close, she could never quite bring herself to contact her best friend back in her old hometown of Arcadia Bay. _I'm not sure what I would even say to Chloe. I wanted to come back that weekend for the funeral but she all but hissed at me between her crying. She's went through so much; all I wanted was to be there for her._ Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Max smiled warmly at her discussion partner and he suggested they find somewhere quieter in the party to go and talk. _Don't, Max_ , a voice in Max's head told her, _This is a red goddamn flag! Stop!_

"Uh, sure," Max heard herself say, the lightheadedness intensifying as she felt her legs become slightly rubbery while trying to walk _and_ keep herself upright.

The abandoned building was old. Max could smell mildew and an earthy, dusty stench was nearly palpable. Her mind a jumble of mixed thoughts and misfiring signals, Max felt her head begin to spin before she turned it back towards the way they had come in. _I…I think I need to…need to leave…_

"Heyyyy, can we g-go back to the party," Max said, her voice slurring as the pill that was put in her soda began to fully take effect, "This is so fucking stupid. I don't even…hey, where'd you go? Uh…where'd you go, whatsyourface?"

Just then Max felt a slight pinch along her neck and she swatted at what she figured was a bug. Her eyes widened as she felt a head of hair under her hand, her hand groping further to find a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth latched onto her. Max pulled her hand back sluggishly and felt the haziness in her head become replaced with horror as she looked at the blood on her fingers. _Is this…is this_ mine _?_

"Hey. Hey, leggo! Let… _go!_ " Max yelled as she grabbed the face latched onto her and pushed her fingers into its eyes, hearing a piercing wail as she felt something give in one of the eye sockets. Screaming, Max ran in a panicked state as she headed further _into_ the building and not out of it. Panting, delirious from shock and her drugged state, Max ran blindly towards the only room that still had a door. Her arm reaching out, Max felt a hand latch onto her other arm and jerked it back. Spinning, Max felt the floorboards under her feet buckle and give way with a soft _crunch_ as first her feet and then her entire body began to fall.

Seeing the dim illumination of the hallway she had just been in, muffled party sounds and music were replaced by her own screams as Max Caulfield fell into what felt to her like an abyss, landing with a wet _thud_ onto a cold floor before passing out. Her last thought before unconsciousness was _Am I dead?_ , then the blackness claimed her for its own.

 **Now**

"Ah, dude, I totally forgot about my truck for a sec!" Chloe said as she looked around the small empty space behind the back of their apartment building, thinking of her truck and how it was still at the junkyard.

Max's head snapped up from her flashback to look over at Chloe wearily. Drained from yesterday and feeling like she could break down at any moment, Max wanted to be left alone more than anything else right now. _I just want to lie down, just shut everything out. I get that Kate is concerned and I appreciate it, but I'm not in the mood. Why did I let myself get talked into this?_ Max knew that she should try, make an effort, but after last night and her own dreams she felt as though sinking back into herself would be the easiest, safest thing to do at the moment. Max slowed her pace a bit which resulted in her tugging back as Chloe descended ahead of her.

"Come on, Max," Chloe said as she turned to look at the sad girl standing a few steps behind her, "You _need_ another friendly face. I mean, I know that I'm smoking hot but you should really get out right now and see another person who hella cares for your nerdy undead ass. Quit slowing your roll and come _on_."

"But what about the all the people at Two Whales? There could be trouble, what with you being newly turned and all-" Max pleaded, knowing and not caring how hypocritical she sounded after begging Chloe to come with her.

"Dude. _You_ are the one who argued about me tagging along. Max," Chloe said as she climbed up the steps to look at Max face-to-face, "I love you, but stop trying to come up with excuses for shit. I'm assuming that Kate is not the only person who isn't me that you've been hella avoiding. Get over yourself and let your flag fly, Maxaroni!"

Chloe sighed as Max moped for a moment longer before nodding with a begrudged look on her face. _I'll probably pay for tossing out Max's punk card later, but Kate totally cares about her and Max could use more support in her life right now. Jesus, Max. Have you been holding everything from last night in for_ three years _? No wonder you fucking hate yourself and all the other vampires. Fuck, I hella would. Who knows when those two from last night will come back? They'll probably bring more. Shit's about to get real in Arcadia Bay…_

"You feel up for taking your scooter, Speedy?" Chloe asked as she looked to see Max wiping at her eyes. Seeing Max shake her head in reply, Chloe nodded thoughtfully before taking Max's hand again with a gentle squeeze. Walking through the alleyway, she caught Max dejectedly glancing towards the boarded-up window they had used to sneak inside the first floor. Taking Max's cheek in her hand, Chloe kissed her fiancé on the cheek before slowly tilting Max's view away from window. _Rachel was my friend, but I feel like you're taking her being gone way harder than I am right now, Max. I can't even imagine what is running through your head, and to be honest it frightens me more than a little. We'll get through all this, though. Together._

"Chloe, the bus probably won't be here for a while," Max said in a mildly whining voice, "Please, can we just go back to the apartment? I just want to be alone with you." _Please don't make me go. I_ don't _want to!_

"No can do, Maxaroni. You told Kate you'd be there, so there we go. Relax, okay? I've got your back. You've got mine, right?" Chloe said with a supportive grin as she gave Max another kiss on the cheek.

"You know that I do," Chloe heard Max say in reply, a look of mild irritation flashing across the smaller girl's face before returning to her current default of numbness. _Getting there, Max. Piece by piece I'm drawing you back out. Need Kate's help with it, though. Can't go this one alone._

"Well then, just let me have your back and believe in my thinking that a visit with Kate will be good for you," Chloe said, trying to reassure Max only to get a grumble in reply. _You've got to give me something, Max. Help me pull you out of this. Seize the day, or some shit like that!_

Chloe forcibly sat Max down on the bench of the bus stop and held her down as the bus approached after a small amount of time. Chloe hated seeing Max like this, but Max also didn't really care at that moment. Max wanted to go home, she wanted to lock herself away. She felt like a living wound, a bleeding tear in her and Chloe's world that would never healing right. Knocked out of her introspection, Max felt herself lurched forward as Chloe hauled her into the bus. Max plopped down onto the front seat and felt herself get boxed in as Chloe took a seat next to her.

 _You've got to give me something, Max_ , Chloe thought as the bus doors closed before the public transportation began to turn back onto the street, _Let me know you're in there. I can't help you if you lock me the fuck out._ Chloe went to take Max's hand but felt a pang of heartbreak as Max withdrew her hand and shifted her position in the seat so that she was looking out the window with her back to Chloe. Sadness turning to frustration, Chloe's lips pressed together as her mouth went from a frown to a thin line. _Okay. That's it. No more Ms. Nice Chlo._

"Fucking stop it," Chloe uttered into Max's ear, "Just stop it, Max. You want to be fucking miserable? I won't stop you. You know how miserable I can be, you know what I've been through, and I'm not here to goddamn judge your pale ass. I can't imagine what the fuck happened to you, what you're going through, but _I am right here_ and you're literally turning your back on me. So help me _God_ , you will not fucking treat me like this after everything that has happened. Do you understand?"

Chloe's felt her chest seize when Max turned herself so that she was facing Chloe. _It's like she's aged decades in minutes. Max, you can't go it alone on this!_ Her face haggard with the bags under her eyes darker than usual, Max looked at Chloe with pained, hollow eyes and a dead expression on her face. Chloe leaned into Max and began to cover Max's cheeks with little kisses as the other girl started to sniffle, pain coming out of Max in small waves that resulted in tears dribbling down her face.

"I'm sorry," Max said, her voice frail and meek as Chloe pulled back so that she wasn't all over Max's face while the small brunette spoke with genuine feeling, "It's everywhere I look, Che. Every time I blink my eyes I see it happening all over again. The blackness, the haze. I think something was put in my drink, and I was led into a building where I was _supposed to die_ -"

"No. You weren't _supposed_ to do anything except be Max Caulfield," Chloe said as she pulled Max into her arms, "Whoever the fuck did this to you took something away, forced you into a direction you weren't meant to go. But you're here _now_ , and I'm here with you. You've helped me so much, gotten me to open up when all I wanted was to just burn Arcadia Bay and the world before turning it into fucking glass. So let me be here for you. Please?" Chloe held up Max's tear-stained face in her hands and wouldn't let go until Max sluggishly nodded before burying her face into Chloe's jacket. _There you are, Max. You're right here, and I've got you. I'm never fucking letting you go. Just keep your hand in mine and we'll make it._

Chloe held onto Max, the smaller girl's face buried in Chloe's leather jacket, the entire way from where they had started on their bus ride all the way to Blackwell Academy. Chloe looked around in confusion for a moment before realizing that they must've been on a bus that was going to the school _first_ before coming back around to town. Seeing a familiar shape standing on the sidewalk as the bus pulled up to the Blackwell stop, Chloe opened her window and waved her blue-nailed hand a shyly smiling Kate Marsh.

Chloe felt relieved when Kate waved back and quickly climbed inside, taking the empty seat that was behind her and Max. Seeing Kate peer over the back of her and Max's seat, Chloe mouthed _Hey_ to Kate, getting a _What's wrong?_ in reply. Just shaking her head with a sad look on her face, Chloe conveyed enough to Kate that when Kate sat back down into her own seat Chloe saw the look of worry on the other girl's face. _She really is the sweetest fucking person I've ever met. Sorry, Max, but your buddy is just too much._

Max stiffened in Chloe's grip for a moment as the bus lurched while going through the roundabout to head back into Arcadia Bay. Opening her eyes, Max looked at Chloe's shirt for a moment to make sure she hadn't left red stains behind from her crying before looking up at the blue-haired angel watching over her. _Hi_ , Max had mouthed with a halfhearted attempt at a smile, and had nearly sobbed again when Chloe warmly smiled back and kissed her in reply.

Seeing a familiar head of hair in the seat behind them, Max lifted herself out of Chloe's hold and leaned over the seat to see Kate playing with her phone. Max chuckled faintly when Kate realized she was being watched and her head jerked up only to smile at the weary-looking Max.

"Hey," Kate said with a smile, leaning over to kiss Max on the cheek.

"Only Chloe smooches allowed, Lady Jesus," Chloe playfully grumbled.

"She gets a free pass," Max said back, snickering as Chloe and Kate shot each other relieved looks at Max's light display of mirth.

"Noooooo," Chloe said in feigned grief, burying her face in her hands, "You are a thief, Marsh, and we hates it forever!" Max bust up laughing at the _LOTR_ reference, even more so when Kate followed up.

"But she's my own. My preciousss," Kate said, pulling off a decent Gollum impression.

"Ugh, stop it. You're actually making my sides hurt," Max said as she winced from the sudden outburst of her own laughter. She groaned and rolled her eyes as Chloe and Kate gave each other a high five in response to Max's complaining. _Oh, I get it now. This was planned, wasn't it?_ "You two…"

"Yes, we noble few. We band of sistas," Chloe said with a a smirk as she turned around the rest of the way. She and Max were both leaning against the back of their seat while Kate sat facing them, two girls waiting patiently to see if the faint smile on the crestfallen girl's face remained. A wordless prayer escaped Kate's lips when Chloe watched Max lean in and place a fragile, but loving, kiss on her lips. _Even when you're down you taste wonderful, Max_ , Chloe thought as she kissed Max back.

"Heathens," Kate joked with a smirk as she shook her head.

Clambering out of the bus, all three girls stretched as they made their brief passage down the sidewalk and into Two Whales. Chloe was feeling better after having seen Max finally start to come out of her shell, her hand now intertwined with Max's, when she felt the other girl's grip tighten. Looking at Max, she saw the worried look on her fiancé's face as Max nervously looked at the diner and then Chloe.

"You or me?" Chloe asked, a faint pout trickling down her lips.

"You," Max replied in a quiet voice, "Will you be okay?" Max felt Chloe's hand tighten on hers and bashfully looked away as Chloe gave her a peck on the cheek.

"You're here. If I start to freak, bail a lady out," Chloe replied with a smirk as she tugged Max along until they had joined Kate at the entrance to the diner. "Ah, nothing like the smell of grease and coffee in the morning."

The three of them entered the diner and almost made a beeline for Max and Chloe's usual booth before noticing that it was occupied by Nathan Prescott and Taylor Christensen, the two in a heated discussion. Looking at Kate with a concerned expression only to get a confused shrug in reply, Max watched as Taylor leapt out of her seat and slapped Nathan across the face before heading in their direction.

"Oh! Uh, hey," Taylor said as she looked up from where she was walking, nearly bumping into Kate, "Sorry."

"Taylor?" Max asked, setting her own problems aside as she saw the pretty blonde girl begin to cry, "Taylor, what's wrong?"

Max heard a huffing noise from Chloe and shot her a quick glare before reaching over to gently take Taylor by the arm. Nodding at Kate, Max watched her and Chloe take the booth at the opposite end of the diner while she sat Taylor at the counter and took a seat next to her. Watching Nathan Prescott come storming past, Max exchanged menacing glares before he slammed the door open on his way out. Looking over to see Taylor watching the unspoken display of aggression, Max grinned sheepishly at the teary-eyed girl.

"Ugh, he's such an asshole!" Taylor said with hostility laced in her otherwise exhausted voice, "He acts cool, sure, but he's totally a piece of shit when it comes to things that have nothing to do with _him_."

"Uh…," Max said, furrowing her brow in confusion until Taylor spoke up again.

"Victoria's finally awake and he can't be bothered to see her. Douchebag," Taylor spat, looking up at Max in thanks as she was handed some napkins. Dabbing at her eyes, Taylor slammed her free hand on the counter with an open palm only for both girls to get very quiet when Joyce shot them a confused look from across the diner.

"She's awake?" Max asked.

"Uh, _yeah_ ," Taylor said in irritation before looking at Max apologetically, "Sorry. Yeah, she woke up yesterday afternoon. The cops swarmed on her like fucking flies, Max, asking her so many questions that she started to shake. They asked about you, about that night and what happened. I felt so bad for her, poor Vic."

"Does she-"

"She says that she can't remember anything from that night, save you getting her to the hospital. She…she wants to talk to you," Taylor said as she pulled out her phone. Taking one of the unused napkins, Taylor scrawled some numbers onto the thin paper before handing it to Max. "That's her room number, and these are the visiting hours."

"Yeah, I remember that from when I went to see Kate."

"Right. Uh, d'you mind if I go over there with you? Just for a sec?" Taylor said as she stood up from the stool she was at and gestured in the direction of Kate and Chloe's booth, "I'd really like to talk to Kate. I haven't gotten a chance since she's been back and…"

"Sure. C'mon," Max said as she offered her hand to Taylor, the other girl taking it hesitantly before a small smile came across her face, "You know, I still have your photos waiting for you at my apartment, Taylor. You _ever_ going to come by and pick them up? You _did_ pay for them, after all."

"Ugh, I totally forgot! Would today after school work?"

"That'll be fine. I've got some…some personal things going on, so Chloe and I will probably be at the apartment all day today," Max said to Taylor as they arrived at the booth that Kate and Chloe were occupying, "Uh, Taylor said she wanted to talk to you, Kate."

Max watched as Kate eyed Taylor suspiciously and tried to keep a straight face when Taylor awkwardly held her arm with her other hand. _Oh my Dog, she does it too! I feel so bad for her. She's actually a lot sweeter than she lets on._ _I wonder if everybody in the Vortex Club_ but _Victoria and Nathan are like this…_

"Kate? I was wondering if we could talk? Like, in private?" Taylor asked, composing herself.

"Why?" Kate shot back, a slightly hurt look on her face as she glanced over at Max.

"…Please. Just give me a minute?"

"…Fine. I'll be right back," Kate said to Chloe, giving Max a curious look as she let Taylor lead her outside.

Max took a seat next to Chloe as the other girl fiddled around with one of the menus. Rolling her eyes at Chloe, Max plucked the menu out of a blue-nailed hand and set it down on the table before scooping up the hand and kissing it.

"Hi," Max said with a bashful smile as she gave a bemused Chloe an Eskimo kiss, "I missed you."

"Oh, so _now_ she arises," Chloe said with a pout, "You play nice for Taylor but not for your fiancé? I see how it is. Also, it was like three minutes – I seriously doubt you could have missed me in that small amount of time."

"You underestimate yourself," Max said as she leaned her head against Chloe's shoulder and gave a soft kiss on the neck, "I _did_ miss you."

"You're so fucking mushy sometimes. Ugh."

"I can always 'lock myself the fuck away', brah."

"Was that supposed to be me? Were you actually doing an impression of me? If so, I'm offended," Chloe said as she stared out at the window in horror, "Oh my fucking shit."

"What?" Max asked, her head still leaning into Chloe's neck before she felt Chloe lift up her chin so she could see out the window, "Holy shit."

Kate was hugging Taylor, both girls looking like they were crying. While the windows shut out the voices of the two girls, Max and Chloe both could have sworn that the two girls outside were being friendly towards each other before Taylor waved bye as she headed for the bus. Watching Kate wave back, Max and Chloe snapped their heads down hurriedly when Kate looked over into the window.

"Is this for real? Isn't that the seventh sign or something?" Chloe asked, still in shock.

"I think I actually want coffee now," Max said as she grabbed the extra coffee cup on the table and walked over to the counter to get it filled up, pausing to look back at Chloe, "I might want some liquor, too."

Watching Kate come back inside from the counter, Max saw a small smile on her lips and looked at Kate in confusion before turning around to thank Joyce for the coffee. Taking her seat next to Chloe, Max and Chloe both patiently waited the blushing Kate out until she finally spoke up.

"Taylor _apologized_. In person," Kate blurted out, looking away from the bewildered smiles on Max and Chloe's face, "Oh, _stop_ looking at me like that. She wanted to apologize and say how sorry she was."

"Sure, to make herself feel better," Chloe said before wincing at the thrusting elbow Max planted into her side, "Dude, she's Victoria's lead henchman. She's-"

"She asked for my forgiveness," Kate said in a quiet voice, Max looking on as Chloe looked floored by the statement.

"No fucking way," Chloe sputtered.

"Yes, actually, yes way."

The three talked as they waited for Joyce to come back around so that Max could order. All three deciding on Belgian Waffles, their discussion turned towards Kate for a minute or two more before Max slumped in her seat as two sets of eyes fell upon her. Chloe and Kate talked to Max with earnest faces and compassionate voices, telling her that she didn't need to fight whatever she was going through alone.

"If you need help, Max, all you have to do is ask," Kate said as she leaned over the table to place a hand on one of Max's shoulders, "Chloe _does_ live with you, after all. Can't blame you if sometimes you don't want to speak up, though."

"Hey!" Chloe said, more shocked than hurt by the jab from Kate, "What the eff, Lady Jesus!"

"'Let she who is with snark cast the first stone'," Max said with a giggle as Kate smiled triumphantly at a confused Chloe before raising an eyebrow at Max.

"You might be in trouble for that one, Max," Kate said, still smiling, as Joyce showed up with their orders.

It was like Max felt the tension ripple over her from Chloe in waves as she saw the bandage on Joyce's forearm, a thin line of blood barely visible from the small cut. Max wrapped her arm around Chloe's and used the connection to hold her fiancé down as Chloe's eyes flashed with hunger for a second. Knowing that Chloe's fangs could pop out at any moment, Max did the only thing she could and leaned in to kiss her fidgeting, hungry vampire of a fiancé.

Max grimaced at first as Chloe trembled in an attempt to get out of Max's hold, Max keeping her eyes closed partly to focus but also because she was afraid she might break the contact if she saw Kate's blushing face and Joyce's look of surprise. Max and Chloe had kissed in public before, but _never_ like this. _This is really awkward,_ Max said as she spun in her seat so that she was facing the still-squirming Chloe and put her free hand into Chloe's hair as she pushed Chloe even further into the kiss. Chloe fought for a moment longer before Max felt a hand reach over and lock its fingers into her own coppery, brunette hair. Chloe's tongue parted Max's lips and licked at Max's tongue for a moment before her eyes snapped open and she saw her mother and Kate watching her, Kate's mouth hung open.

"Uh…wow, Max! Didn't know you were into the extreme sports version of PDAs," Chloe said, trying to laugh the scene off as Max looked away in embarrassment.

"Wow," Kate uttered, her turn at being shocked, "I thought you said that Max was going through some really big issues…"

"I knew it!" Max said as she slapped at Chloe's shoulder, "Traitor!"

"Hey. C'mon now, you two," Joyce said with a tinge of nervousness, "You're spooking the other customers with your…shenanigans."

Stopping in mid-swing, Max's eyes opened wide and met with Chloe's similar face as both girls peered over the back of their seat to see every other person in the diner watching them. Max's face couldn't turn away from all the stares, she was so horrified. Her body locked in place, Max had to be resituated by Chloe as she turned Max around and lowered the smaller girl's still-raised arm.

"Umm…," Chloe mumbled as she awkwardly scratched at her beanie, "How about them…fuck, I don't even remember any of Blackwell's team names…"

Max lifted her hand and took the fork next to her still-warm breakfast and broke the silence by cutting herself a piece of waffle, the scrape of her fork against the plate seeming to reset their little gathering as Kate and Chloe joined her in eating their own food. No one talked until all three plates were relatively cleared of breakfast food, Max sighing as she put down her third cup of coffee.

"So…Victoria's awake," Max said awkwardly, trying to start up a conversation, "Taylor said she wanted to see me. Gave me her room number and everything. I was thinking that maybe we could go after we're done here, Che. That alright?"

"You want to go see _Victoria Chase_?" Chloe asked in amazement, "The Victoria who-"

"Yes, _that_ Victoria," Max cut Chloe off, stepping on the other girl's foot to hush her. _Please, Chloe, regale Kate with our delightful stories of screaming and violence. Ugh, dork._

"I think it's sweet," Kate said, catching both girls off-guard.

"You cereal?" Max asked, surprised.

"She's done…a lot of mean things to me, Max, but she doesn't deserve to die for it. Besides, if I hate her then that means she wins. I won't let that happen," Kate said as she looked out the window.

"Wow, Kate. Look at you and your righteous lack of fury," Chloe said with a grin as she leaned over to poke Kate in the shoulder before sitting back down, "Just needed to see if you're Kate and not an imposter."

Max and Kate chatted about the photography program at Blackwell while Chloe played with her phone, all three girls keeping themselves occupied until the bus began to approach. Offering to pay for the breakfast, Max gave Kate a quick hug before her friend walked out the door and ran to the bus as it was about to leave the bus stop. Max was going through her wallet when she saw Chloe peering at her from under a fringe of blue hair.

"What?" Max asked, curious about the odd look on Chloe's face.

"You sure are getting hella chummy with the Vortex Club, Max. Your inner preppy going to burst through your chest any time soon?" Chloe asked, her tone in opposition with the casual look on her face.

"Wow, Chloe. I knew you got jealous but this is kinda cute," Max teased, humored as Chloe yanked her beanie off to put her face right up to Max's with a grin.

"Maxaroni, you haven't seen me do jealous," Chloe said before kissing Max.

Sighing, Max reluctantly pulled back from the kiss and slid out of the booth. Heading over to the end of the counter across from Joyce, Max handed her a $20 and asked if she and Chloe could borrow her car so that they could visit someone in the hospital. Taking the proffered keys with gratitude, Max spun around and headed out the door as Chloe made her way outside as well. Both girls' stomachs growled as they headed towards Joyce's car and they looked at each other with shared smirks.

"Buzz by the apartment?" Chloe asked.

"Sure, but I think that it would be best if you didn't tag along with me to the hospital," Max said as she tossed the keys to Chloe and climbed into the passenger side.

"Dude, I didn't mean to go bat-shit in there," Chloe said as she waved an arm in the direction of Two Whales, "Besides, are _you_ sure you're up for visiting Victoria considering how the past two days have been?"

"I know you didn't mean to do anything, Che, but that was just from the faintest whiff of human blood. What do you think your reaction will be in a hospital permeated with the smell? And no, I don't think I am up for visiting Victoria but I don't have little choice. Taylor said that Victoria claims she doesn't remember anything but wants to talk to me. I have to make sure that she either doesn't remember anything or won't say anything," Max said as she buckled herself in.

"You suck when you're all rational and shit," Chloe said as she started the car, "I like emotional Max more. I can just cuddle her and hold her hand without having to deal with an existential crisis."

"Boooooo."

Topping off the sports bottle at the apartment after they both drank their fill, Max climbed out of the car. Chloe convincing Max to at least let her drive Max to the hospital, the blue-haired wonder was to return in an hour or so. _Places to go, people to do_. _Huh, Che?_ Max had thought with dry humor at the impatient look of frustration on Chloe's face before she had squealed the tires of her mother's car while speeding out of the parking lot.

Showing Taylor's note to the nurse at reception, Max got a couple awkward looks from hospital staff that she remembered from the night she brought Victoria in. _I swear I won't break anything_ , Max thought as she awkwardly waved at the staring people before she was escorted down to the rooms devoted to short-term care. Led to a room with the door closed, Max waited as the nurse knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Max heard a weak voice ask.

"Victoria, you have a visitor," the nurse replied, opening the door the rest of the way so that Max could head inside.

"Uh, hi Victoria," Max said awkwardly as she looked at the pale form of Victoria Chase lying in a hospital bed. Seeing Victoria's hand fumble along the side of the bed, Max figured what the other girl wanted and pushed a button on the console. The top half of the bed rising until Victoria coughed to let Max know when to stop, Victoria was in a reclined position when Max looked back up.

"You look better," Max said, her voice sheepish. _We're not friends. I don't know what to say to you._

"Ugh, I look _and feel_ like shit, Max," Victoria said as she put a palm to her forehead before combing her hair with her fingers, "I didn't really expect you to come. We're not friends, and I don't have anything prepared to say."

Max couldn't help but chuckle as Victoria finished speaking, stopping only when she saw the ire on Victoria's face.

"I'm not laughing at you, Victoria. I'm laughing because you said what I had just thought beforehand."

Victoria looked at Max pensively for a moment before breaking into a weak grin and chuckling herself. Her laughter strained as she winced from the pain in her abdomen, Victoria clutched at her stomach for a moment before looking up at Max.

"Close the door."

Max closed the door and walked back over, taking the seat Victoria gestured toward and brining it bedside as she sat.

"You're a vampire."

"Yes," Max felt no reason to lie, having saved Victoria's life. Also, Max couldn't deny she was curious as to Victoria's ambivalence towards her.

"How?"

"…I was drugged at a party in Seattle. When I came to…," Max paused before popping out her fangs for effect, smirking when Victoria's eyes momentarily widened. Retracting her fangs, Max folded her hands across her lap, "You've told everybody else that you don't remember anything."

"You saved my life. Twice, if I'm correct?"

"Yes. Once at the lighthouse and another at the school."

"So I'm saving yours. The cops asked a lot of questions, Max," Victoria said, surprising Max with her sympathetic tone, "I can't imagine that it is easy being…well, _that_."

"It really isn't, but I make do."

"Do you… _eat_ people?"

"I fed on Chloe twice during…stuff, but aside from that I don't. I go after wildlife-" Max said before being cut off by a raised hand from Victoria.

"The less I know the better I will feel," Victoria said as she pinched the bridge of her nose, "Like I said, not friends. But that doesn't mean I can't watch your back some. Allies, I guess? I could use one, especially after yesterday…" Max leaned forward as seeing Victoria anxiously glanced out the window.

"What happened?" Max asked, a nagging worry starting to creep up her spine, nestling in her stomach.

"Nathan came to see me. Talking about how sorry he was, which I didn't respond with a damn word, then started talking about how he thought it was you and your lesbian lover that did this to me. I then told him that I didn't remember which only made him _more_ pissed off and he stormed out of here in a rage, said he was going to make sure you and your girlfriend got what's coming to you," Victoria said, wincing again from the strain her body was undertaking, "How long does it take you to heal? I ask because my injuries are being a complete _bitch_."

"You wouldn't like what you'd have to do for my level of recovery."

"Probably not. Definitely not. Ew. Well," Victoria said with a sigh as she looked back over at Max, "I said to myself that I would warn you and I have. That's it, you can go now."

"…Thanks, Victoria," Max said, getting a moment of weakness out of Victoria as the two girls briefly smiled at one another. Victoria's ambivalence quickly returned when she realized what she was doing, to Max's slight disappointment. _Maybe it's just Nathan that is evil…_

"Whatever."

Letting herself out, Max weaved her way through and out the hospital, ignoring the looks she once again received from the front desk staff as she pulled out her phone to text Chloe.

 **Max: Che? I'm done**

 **Chloe: Hella fast, Max**

 **Chloe: u eat her?**

 **Max: UGH NO**

 **Chloe: I suppose u want ur knight to come rescue u**

 **Max: sure where is she?**

 **Chloe: ily2 smart-ass**

 **Max: still y I'm here**

 **Chloe: On my way bae**

 **Max: did you really just call me that?**

 **Chloe: Hushhhhh**

Sliding her phone into her pocket, Max was so lost in thought from the information that she had just received that she hardly noticed someone coming up from behind. Only a few paces away, Max's head shot up and she spun around with eyes narrowed at the sight of Stephen approaching her with his hands raised. Backpedaling a few steps, Max let out a low growl as Stephen halted his approach and gestured to his own phone.

"Fine," Max said cooly, straightening her back, "Talk."

"I'm so sorry that we brought up something so horrible, Max. You never talked about how you were turned."

"Why would I? I didn't even remember it until I turned Chloe. I'm a fucking mess, now," Max said through gritted teeth, "What the fuck do you want? I said I would…you know what I said last night."

"Max, I'm here to offer you an amnesty. Not all of us are bad. You know this."

"Do I?" Max asked with a bitter laugh, "I was on the run for three years. _Three years._ You and Maeve…you took me in, took care of me. And then you break into my home and present me with what basically is a death warrant. Y'know, I was tortured and locked away. I was dumped into the ocean for _a month_. And I'm supposed to be excited about the idea that if I do _what was done to me_ I will be left alone because I'm fucking special? Pffffft," Max said, her laugh a little unbalanced as the memory of last night and three years ago mingled in her head with the severe depression she felt this morning.

"Max, you don't have to answer right away. But you should know that one of our leaders-"

" _Your_ leaders," Max spat, leaving Stephen to frustratingly repeat what he had typed out.

"Max, you don't have to answer right away. But you should know that one of our leaders will be coming down here soon."

Raising his hands again, Stephen mouthed _I really am sorry_ to a resentful Max before he backed away from her, turned around, and left. _Whatever_ , Max thought, still reeling from last night enough that she couldn't process what had just been said to her in its entirety. Her mind wandering, Max thought about her confinement and the feel of the iron bars as they ran through her joints. _What kind of assholes_ do _that to a person? Killing in self-defense is bad, but torture is okay? Yeah, that's not fucking creepy at all._ Max's thoughts also moved toward what Victoria had told her about Nathan. Her introspection regarding that took surprisingly little time. _He tore up Chloe's hideout and trashed her truck. Mean little shit._ Hearing her phone go off, Max slipped it out and saw a new message from Chloe.

 **Chloe: SOS**

 **Max: ?**

 **Chloe: lighthouse now plz**

Thinking about both Nathan _and_ possible evil vampire bullshit on approach, Max frantically looked around the parking lot before remembering that she had no transportation on hand. Running through the edge of the woods on the other side of the parking lot, Max waited until she was deep enough in the trees. _Crap, it's still daytime and I left the sports bottle with Chloe. I can run there but I'll be wiped and I'll have to be careful. Someone could be in the woods._ Grinding her teeth as she fought back a growl of frustration, Max took off further into the woods.

The distance from the hospital to the lighthouse was painstaking, each structure being on one side of town adjacent to the other. Max's stomach heaved with a growing emptiness as she fell on her face and rolled down a hill as the pain in her stomach was met with an increasing hunger. Max felt her fangs pop out and had to concentrate in order for them to retract. _Why couldn't I have taken my own damn ride? Shit. Shit!_ Max thought as she scrambled to her feet and sprinted again. She had covered half the distance through a series of short runs, but each successive sprint was taking longer than the last as she became more exhausted and hungry.

Letting out a low moan, Max felt the ground beneath her shift as her legs gave way. Her mind getting foggy, Max fought her fatigue and sprinted forward, gaining an even shorter distance than before as she nearly careened into a tree. Max felt something rise up in her throat and she coughed up brackish fluid that left her heaving as her entire body began to ache with hunger before seeing a small hand hover before her face.

"Come on. You can do it. Get up," Max heard a voice say to her. Her body quaking as she got to her knees, Max lifted her head. She would have screamed if her throat wasn't so raw from throwing.

Standing before the exhausted, crumpled form of Max Caulfield was… _Max Caulfield_. _I'm delirious. I'm seeing things_ , Max thought as the other her standing in front of her pulled back the outstretched hand. The other Max was dressed in the clothes that the vampiric Max had worn on the night of her being turned, bloodstains on her white t-shirt and grey hoodie that glistened with the blood's freshness. The other Max's face was partly obscured, hair hanging over her eyes and blood spattered across the cheek that was above the wound on her neck.

"What's the matter?" the other Max asked, a sheepish grin on her face, "You look pretty bad."

"What the…?" Max asked, dazed with her eyes unable to completely focus, as she walked past the vision of her dead self before attempting to sprint. Landing only thirty feet or so from where she had taken off, Max felt her phone go off as she leaned against a tree as she dry-heaved again. _Fuck. I feel like…Is this what death as a vampire feels like? It's like every fiber of my being is turning stiff._

"Look," the other Max said as she walked up to where Max was and pointed ahead. Max hung her head and sluggishly turned to see the parking lot for the lighthouse a short distance off, the gray streak of highway dividing the remainder of woods cutting her off from the hilltop path. _Chloe_.

"That's right. _Chloe_. She's in danger, Maxaroni, and needs you at your absolutely most terrifying," the other Max said as she wrapped Max's arm over a ghostly shoulder, "Hey, stay awake. Wowsers. You really do look like crap. Y'know, I think I'm glad you don't get to see yourself like this. It makes me feel like I might totally vom."

"Shut…shut t-the fuck up," Max slurred as she lurched forward, heading towards the highway and parking lot. Max felt her legs buckle and nearly fell before the Max that wasn't really there catch her and flash her a bloody smile as she helped Max back up.

"Did you even say goodbye to Mom and Dad before you ran off? I know you did with Chloe, that's so obvious. Did you say goodbye to your vampire buddy Henri before you ripped him to shreds? Did you cry? We always cry, we're a crybaby. It would be easier if we just caved sometimes, just let the rage loose. The worst thing, however, is that _you turned Chloe into one of us_ ," the other Max whispered in Max's ear before throwing her with inhuman strength from where they had stood to the treeline next to the road.

Max crawled across the asphalt as she heard soft footsteps behind her. Max tried to scream as a hand clutched at her hoodie and pulled across her the road to the parking lot. Lifting herself up from the ground, Max turned around and swung a fist into the other Max's face. The other Max turned her head back so that she was looking at Max with the same bloody smile as before.

"I was wondering when you'd try that, nerd," the other Max said before grabbing Max by the hair and pulling her towards the path. "Why do you keep dragging me along, huh? _Why_? I _died. We died,_ and you shut me out and pulled me along with you. Now you've done the same thing to _our_ Che, you bitch."

At "bitch", the other Max let the heaving vampiric Max fall to her knees and kicked at her face, pushing Max's back into the dirt. Max vaguely felt her phone vibrate and began to move her hand when she felt a sneaker slam onto her hand. Max cried out as the force of the stomping and her already exhausted state made the pain feel so real. Sobbing, Max began to cry out "Chloe…".

"That's right. _Chloe_. She's up there," the other Max said as she directed the half-conscious Max to where the lighthouse loomed over them, the hilltop being near. _How…how did w-we get this close…?_ Max thought as her ghostly counterpart put a bloody hand on a hip, the old blue jeans coming away with a sticky red hand-print. Kneeling in front of a weakened Max, the ghostly vision kissed Max on the lips with bloody lips and stuck her neck wound in front of Max's face.

"Drink. The only way you can save Chloe is to kill me," the other Max whispered, sounding incredibly sad, "You put me in this position, and now _you_ have to sacrifice _us_ to save _her_."

Max shoved the other Max away from her face and climbed up the hill on her knees, swearing that she could hear something beating inside her chest. Looking down, Max saw that she was back at the basement in Seattle. Feeling her head, Max pulled back a bloody hand as her vision began to clear. Max got on her knees and looked down at herself. Usual blue jeans and hoodie, her white t-shirt with the doe on it, Max felt her body begin to shake as someone stalked around her in the dark. Hearing a low hiss, Max sat in the middle of the dimly lit area and pressed her knees to her chest as she cried.

A booted foot stuck its steel toe out of the shadows, the boot becoming a leg as the predator made its way into Max's vision. Max looked up and saw _herself_ , who she was now and not this nightmare she was trapped in. Fangs bared in a seductive grin, the vampiric apparition knelt down next to Max and Max's mind whirled as the image of herself bit into her throat. Max screamed until it came out as a high-pitched gurgle, blood rushing up her throat.

"Get up!" the other Max snapped as Max found herself back at the lighthouse path. She wanted to cry, she wanted to just stop and be dead. _No more. Please, no more._

"You don't get off that easy. What about-"

"Chloe," Max finished the other Max's thought and looked as the other Max faded away, a bloody grin being the last Max saw of the apparition.

Max slowly got to her feet, hearing a screaming noise and the sound of a gun going off from up ahead. _That's too loud for a pistol_ , Max thought as something connected in her head. Looking around frantically, Max realized that the shotgun had been tossed somewhere around where she was currently standing along with the iron buckshot. _No_ , Max thought as her head bobbed.

What Max saw when she reached the hilltop caused such devastation in her that she felt to her knees. Chloe was inching herself in Max's direction, tears running down her cheeks as she pulled herself forward. Her legs not moving, Max saw a bloody mess and smoke where the small of Chloe's back was. _She's been hit with the buckshot. Oh…oh my god, Che_ … Max thought as Chloe looked up and saw her, whimpering "M-Max…" _She's not capable enough yet to defend herself against that much iron._

"I kept texting you, hoping you'd show," Nathan Prescott said as he walked towards the kneeling Max, her arm outstretched toward Chloe's shaking hand. Max couldn't move, something was keeping her down. _Is my body done? Am I done? Is this it?_ Max felt her chest seize as Nathan pointed the shotgun at the pulpy mess of Chloe's lower back. Both girls began to cry as Nathan lorded himself over them both before slinging the shotgun over his shoulder with a mocking grin.

"Told you that _I_ fuck with _you_ , creepy-ass bitch," Nathan said as he kicked at Max's face. Max felt her head get rocked back and she had to steady herself with a hand to keep from falling, afraid that if she fell she might not be able to rise again.

"Leave…leave us…" Max moaned, her eyes wandered around aimlessly as she felt herself begin to slip into unconsciousness before a crack across her jaw made her come to. Feeling numb, Max rolled her head up so that she could see Nathan.

"Did you _think_ that you could do what you did to me and I would just hide? What about Victoria? You practically cut out her guts, fucking bitch!"

"I s-saved-" Max stuttered as she felt something burning inside as she made eye contact with Chloe, the blue-haired girl's legs beginning to spasm. What little healing Chloe's new form was capable of began to start as Nathan focused his attention on Max. Chambering another shell, Nathan brought the barrel an inch from Max's stomach and squeezed the trigger.

Max didn't feel the impact or the sizzle as iron was shot in her. Max felt the shudder of force impacting her, like a car lurching into reverse as she was moving forward. Max folded in half and cried out hoarsely as the movement made her insides feel like they were grating against one another. Max clutched at her stomach as she felt Nathan Prescott pull her back up by the hair. Nathan wasn't what Max saw, however, as she looked up.

The other Max was looming over her with the shotgun in hand. Gone was the blood and the wound, the malicious glint in her eyes. Dropping the shotgun, the other Max pulled back a sleeve and thrust a wrist at Max's mouth.

"You need me, to remind you of who you are. But I need you, to defend _her_ ," the other Max said as she nodded toward the frozen form of Chloe Price. Max swung her head around and saw that everything around them was frozen in time.

"But if I do this-"

"Maxaroni, don't you trust us?" the other Max interjected, putting the bared wrist to Max's mouth.

Max was so hungry. She could feel the pulse through the warm skin at her lips. Her fangs already out, Max gently pierced the skin and began to drink. Something in Max felt increasingly weak as another part grew stronger, then vice-versa as the sides of her began to balance out. She couldn't be human anymore because she _wasn't_ human, but Max refused to be entirely vampiric. The realization that she had to embrace _what_ she was while remaining _who_ she is hit Max like a hammer to the back of her skull.

Nathan jerked back as Max suddenly lunged at him, knocking the shotgun aside with a desperate swing. He hadn't expected something that looked almost dead to pop up like it had a rocket underneath it. Max's upper body hung limp as she stood on surprisingly steady legs. Chloe's face was pressed into the dirt as the pain overwhelmed her and she began to cry again. Nathan backpedaled as Max lifted her head and looked at Nathan through the hair in her face, eyes a bright violet, and hissed malevolently.

"Chloeeeee," Max uttered as the image of Chloe smiling as they lay in bed together slowly formed in her mind. The image of Chloe dancing around the apartment after a night of pizza and alcohol with Dana and Juliet, of listening to Kate as she talked her progress with the photography class. Max watched it all and it only made her angrier. "How _dare you_? _**How dare you**_?"

Max hobbled over to Nathan with a quickness that neither expected until her face was inches from a terrified Nathan's, the boy frozen stiff before the monster standing in front of him. Her abdomen hissing and smoking, Max winced as she dragged her arms up and onto Nathan's shoulders. Panting, Max pressed her face into Nathan's and growled with her teeth gritted. Max felt something give inside her, her mind feeling clearer as she looked at Nathan with a curiosity that caught him off-guard.

Max looked back and saw that Chloe was staring at her with a frightened look. Smirking, Max turned her attention back to Nathan and put a shaky finger to his quivering lips, hushing him. Her eyes still flashing behind strands of coppery brunette hair, Max grinned as she leaned her forehead into Nathan's and she kissed his cheek.

"Do you remember? Huh? Do you remember what I said, last time we were here?" Max asked and heard Nathan begin to cry as she nuzzled his neck. "Well, I'm feeling kinda hungry, and _you fucking shot my fiancé_!"

Max's head reared back as Chloe screamed for Max to stop, Max plunging her fangs into Nathan's neck, a surge of energy simultaneously transferring from Nathan to Max as she stood more steadily while he fell into her arms.

 **Author's Note – Well, that was a thing. I'm thinking that I might have to change the categories this story is in to Horror/Romance, and would be interested in your opinions on that.**

 **Some people have asked me about the vampire community which exists in this fic – the truth is that I've intentionally kept things kinda murky because Max herself has no real clue about them and I don't want us getting too far ahead of her. I kinda want you as readers and myself as the writer to** _ **go with**_ **Max and Chloe on this journey that is the story.**

 **In the meantime, creepy, scary Max vs near-dead Max, who then turned into a Max that accepted her vampirism and bit into Nathan** _ **fucking**_ **Prescott?! I got anxious as I was writing the story from the point Max ran out of the hospital parking lot all the way to the end. I hope you did, too.**

 ***LiS Stranger Secret Handshake* (^_^)/**

 **Read, review, and I will see you for** _ **Chapter 2-0!**_ **Woo 20 chapters wooooo!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Heavenly Creatures, from the song by Wolf Alice (I really feel that you all should check this song out either before or after reading this. It's a beautiful piece of music.**

 **Warning – This is probably the most angst-y piece I've ever done.**

 **I'm about to hit you in your feels. Again.**

Chloe winced at the first shot, her fangs bared as Nathan Prescott pumped the shotgun again to discharge the empty shell and load another one. Feeling a burning sensation as the iron buckshot worked its way into her, Chloe nearly feel to one knee as Nathan leveled her own gun at her for a second time. _Fucking c'mon, superpowers!_ Doing what Max had told her, Chloe shot out and managed to sprint all of ten feet almost instantly before the gut shot made her bowl over in pain. Rolling along the ground, Chloe landed on her stomach and made to lift herself up when she heard the shotgun go off again.

The thing that scared Chloe the most with the second shell firing was the _lack_ of pain. Chloe tried to get up but found that her legs weren't responding, and her lip began to tremble as she bent herself at an incredibly awkward angle to try and see what was wrong. Unable to do so, Chloe reached her hand back and screamed in pain as she felt her hand touch the pulpy mess that had become the small of her back. Brackish fluid coating her fingers, Chloe began to shake as she dragged herself towards the lighthouse path. _I fucking swear that if I managed to get through this I am_ never _fucking coming back to this goddamn hilltop! Shit's hella cursed!_

Chloe grimaced in pain as something in her back pinched against the small bits of iron inside her and she looked over to see Nathan Prescott using her own phone. _Fuck, he's got to be trying to get Max over here,_ Chloe thought as she smacked her forehead against the ground in frustration. _She's the only contact on my phone he probably has_ any _interest in. Knowing Max, she'll come running like a superhero._ Chloe winced again as she turned her attention back to her escape attempt.

Leaving Max at the hospital, Chloe had opted to come up to the lighthouse with all of her remaining weed and see just how much it would take to get her undead ass lit. Rolling up some serious blunts, Chloe had nearly inhaled the first with little reaction except a slight tingling. _Ugh! Fuck you, vampire-ish-ness! I need to blaze!_ Starting the second joint, Chloe had begun to feel herself mellow when she heard a familiar _chk-chack_ from behind her.

"Got you now, feminazi dyke bitch," Nathan said with a smirk as she shakily leveled Chloe's shotgun at her. _Where the fuck did you get that, Asscot?! That's_ my _gun!_

"Get the fuck away from me, psycho!" Chloe shouted, looking away as she tried to move faster along the ground before both Nathan and Chloe jerked their heads up at the sound of someone screaming. _Oh, shit. Max?_

Chloe tried to scramble further along the ground, her heightened senses picking up on someone panting as they slowly made their way up the hill. The breathing was ragged, exhausted, and Chloe realized with dread that Max hadn't fed since they were at the apartment. _The bottle's sitting on the floor of the front passenger seat, and she had to have come here straight from the hospital._ Chloe grimaced as another lancing steam of pain flew from her back to her legs, hoping that was a sign of her back beginning to heal. Lowering her head onto the ground again, Chloe felt herself shaking from the exertion as she heard footsteps in the grass.

"M-Max?" Chloe sputtered, whimpering in pain as she looked up at her fiancé and nearly cringed at the horror that was once her childhood best friend, a girl who enjoyed pancakes and playing pirates in Chloe's backyard. _Something's wrong_ was all Chloe could think as she stared at Max.

Her entire body looked like it had wasted away somewhat, Max's bright violet eyes sunken in with dark bags underneath. Half her face was obscured by unruly hair, those same eyes the only thing clearly visible. Chloe could only see glimpses of Max's full face because of the angle she had being on the ground. _What happened to you?_ Chloe asked as she assessed Max's state. Max almost looked _frail_ to Chloe, like she had thinned over the course of a couple hours. Chloe saw the weakness in Max's posture, saw that her whole body was trembling. Reaching out to Max, Chloe could almost touch Max's fingertips with her own when she screamed as Nathan pointed the shotgun directly on Chloe's injured back. The pain too much, Chloe flitted out of consciousness for a moment.

"Chloeeee," a voice said, snapping Chloe out of her black-out as she groggily looked over to see Max had moved from where she had been kneeling almost in front of Chloe to over by the campfire. _What happened? Where…oh, no. No fucking way. No fucking way!_ Chloe thought as she saw Max's hunched over form move to where she was face-to-face with Nathan Prescott. _Don't do this, Max. Please don't!_

For a second, Chloe thought that Max must've been psychic because she suddenly stood up straighter, but that was where Chloe's lessening worry came to a halt as she realized that Max wasn't hissing anymore. Chloe felt incredibly confused as Max turned to give her a smirk before she directed her attention at Nathan. _What the fuck is she doing?_ Chloe couldn't understand what was going on; one minute watching Max at the point of death, and now it was like she was…like she was playing with him. Chloe felt a knot of revulsion form in her stomach as Max nuzzled herself against Nathan's neck. Seeing the undiluted terror on Nathan's face, Chloe pulled herself back around so that she was facing Max and Nathan.

"Max, _no_! Please, please STOP!" Chloe screamed as she saw Max rear her head back, Chloe's legs beginning to work as she slowly crawled along the hilltop.

Chloe couldn't watch, opting to focus on the task at hand, Clumsily making it to her destination, Chloe grabbed the shotgun and pointed it out towards the cliff where neither her nor Max were standing. Pumping the weapon, Chloe gritted her teeth and fired the iron buckshot into the air. Chloe looked over and saw Max pull her fangs out of a crying Nathan Prescott with a start as she turned to look at Chloe. Dropping the feeble mess, Max walked over to Chloe as she wiped the blood off of her chin with a finger before kneeling down in front of the armed Chloe. _Oh, fuck. My fiancé is going to fucking kill me or whatever_ , Chloe thought. _What the hell is wrong with her eyes?! They're solid black. Fucking creepy!_ The images of Max tearing into Nathan just now, into the animals last night, and into the British guy here at the lighthouse when Chloe died and came back flashed across the blue-haired girl's mind until she felt a small hand caress her cheek.

Chloe's attention snapping back to where she was, Chloe hesitantly looked up to see Max gazing upon her with a gentle kindness. _What the holy blue-balled fuck is going on_? Chloe felt her lower lip quiver as she began to shake, the shaking only growing in intensity as she saw Max notice the trembling. Seeing Max stand up and take a step back, Chloe saw a look of confusion on Max's face. _Maybe she's snapped out of whatever the fuck_ that _was_ , Chloe hoped only to see Max shrug and turn around to walk back towards Nathan Prescott. As Chloe was about to speak up, Max pulled the injured Chloe to her and gave her a hard, wet kiss. Chloe felt a momentary exhilaration before something wet and hot began to flow from Max's mouth. Her entire body feeling like it was crackling with electricity, Chloe felt herself nearly gag at the taste. _Human blood,_ Chloe thought with a mixture of horror and greedy starvation, _She's fucking shotgunning me human blood._

Chloe's thoughts were swirling together as she began to feel a euphoria from the intoxication of raw energy running through every fiber of her. The heat, the charge, it was almost too much for Chloe. Feeling an odd sensation from her lower back, Chloe became dimly aware of the feeling in her legs returning with an increased rapidity. _The blood…did that…? Oh…oh, dude…_ , Chloe thought as she took a handful of Max's hair and pressed the other girl closer into her. _I want this, I want Max. I've never felt so juiced_ , Chloe thought before something about the blood and Max's kiss drew her mind someplace else. _The diner. Mom. No…no, this is hella wrong. Stop. STOP. STOP!_

Chloe released her grip on Max and shoved the brunette back. Feeling power running through her limbs, Chloe shakily stood up as Max went tumbling backwards into the weeping Nathan Prescott. _This is all wrong_. Chloe spat out what blood was still in her mouth and wiped at the dribble on her chin with the bottom of her tank-top. Still wincing from the pain, Chloe reached back to touch the wound only to stifle a cry from the sensitivity of the healing flesh. Looking over to see Max recovering from her moment of shock at being shoved away, Chloe leaned against the bench overlooking Arcadia Bay.

"Max! You don't kill people! Sure, you _just_ fed on him! I totally believe you had a _logical_ reason for that, but you don't kill!" Chloe yelled as Max knelt down next to a sobbing Nathan Prescott, Chloe seeing him covering the small bite marks Max had left behind.

Chloe watched as Max grabbed him by the chin and stared at him for a moment before she stiffened. Turning her head slightly, Max looked at Chloe for a moment before returning her attention to her prey. Chloe fumbled with the shotgun, trying to fit another shell into the chamber only to find the weapon was jammed. Not sure if she even gave a shit anymore, Chloe cussed under her breath and threw the unloaded shotgun in Max's direction. Having heard the clatter, Max's head snapped around as she eyed the weapon and then the thrower. Chloe's blood would have curdled if she were still alive, not from malice on Max's part. Instead, Max grinned at her with blood-stained teeth and mouthed _Stop it_ like what was going on were a game.

Chloe was terrified. She didn't know what was coming, didn't know what to expect. _Not from whoever this is_ , Chloe thought to herself as she watched Max say something to Nathan. Nathan's facial expression changed from fear to confusion, finally ending in a glazed expression. Chloe watched Max nod once before releasing her grip on Nathan, the unconscious boy falling to the ground with a soft _thud_. Feeling a horror surge through her body, Chloe tensed as Max stood and faced her. Max took a step toward Chloe before pausing, seeing the look on Chloe's face. Chloe felt the tension between the two as Max backpedaled a few steps before she sprinted into the woods.

Chloe was alone on the hilltop, alone with all of her thoughts. Chloe tried to think of the smiling, bashful Max that she had only seen earlier this morning; with a sadness, the vicious person she had just seen standing across the hill from her was what kept popping up at the moment. Wincing as she slowly made sat on the bench, Chloe sprawled against the back of her seat and panted from how she felt both drained and energized. Her legs recovering sensation but still seemingly unsteady, Chloe felt her stomach growl as the exertion and her body's healing began to sap at the her strength again. Feeling herself go numb, Chloe's vision dimmed.

Chloe dimly noticed that she hadn't fallen to the ground. Feeling someone holding her up, Chloe's eyes were closed as she shivered at the intermingled images of being killed and Max feeding on Nathan. The two visions bleeding together, Chloe cried internally at the illusory story played out in her head. Chloe was running down the hilltop path, heart thundering in her chest as she madly rushed toward the parking lot with all the speed she could muster. _I've got to get out of here. The shotgun! The shotgun is in my truck. Wait, I thought I already had my shotgun…_

Looking down in her hands, Chloe saw the shotgun loaded and ready as her pursuer came down from the hill. Dressed in a gray hoodie and blue jeans with a pink t-shirt, Max stared at her from above with pitch black eyes and a feral grin as she slowly walked down the hill towards her. Hands shaking, Chloe raised the shotgun but couldn't bring herself to fire as the girl coming towards her looked at Chloe with a pained expression. Chloe felt herself pulled into Max's small arms, locked into a loving hug as Max cried.

"Max?" Chloe asked, confused about everything going on, "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Che," Max said between sobs, "I'm so sorry."

Chloe watched as Max reared her head and bit down, feeling herself slip away as the girl she had fallen in love with slowly fed on and killed her.

"Chloe! Chloe, wake up!" a voice yelled out, drawing Chloe out from her nightmare. Shaking as she snapped out of her unconscious mind, Chloe looked up and let out a sharp cry of surprise at Max as she pushed at Max's face with her hands. Falling out of Max's arms as she was being helped up, Chloe stumbled backwards and felt her lower back smack into the bench as she folded her knees against her chest. Feeling a sharp sting, Chloe noticed that the shaky feeling in her legs was being replaced with a rubbery sensation. _Everything right now is hella screwed up. You most of all, Max. I'm a distant second compared to what you just did_.

"You need to get the fuck away from me," Chloe said as she crawled backwards to the side of the bench away from Max as fast as her still-weakened state would allow.

"Chloe-"

"I said get the fuck away from me! You fed on a person, Max! You fed on Nathan Prescott, and _you enjoyed it_!" Chloe yelled as her eyes darted around the hilltop.

"…I tossed the shotgun," Chloe heard Max say with a sadness to her tone, "Were you really going to shoot me, Chloe?"

"I…I don't fucking know, Max. You were totally tripping when you came up the hill, you looked so dead. Then you go bat-shit and feed on him. You said you _don't_ feed on people! You said! Max, I could've ate _my mom_ at the diner today and you know what stopped me? You. You kissed me and pulled me out of that, so why the hell couldn't you stop yourself before you bit Nathan?" Chloe blurted out, her emotions swinging back and forth from terror to worry.

Max tried to reach out but Chloe moved away from the outstretched hand. Chloe didn't know what to feel anymore; at least, that was how she felt. Wrapped up in both her own internal turmoil and the madness that was still ebbing from the girl staring at her, Chloe swatted away the outstretched hand a second time. Seeing the pained look on Max's face, Chloe felt sick inside as her fear of Max and love for the freckled girl battled each other in her blue-haired head.

"You can't even deny that you enjoyed it," Chloe said, her voice barely above a whisper. Unable to look at Max, Chloe steadied herself against the bench as she shakily stood up and made a point of looking away.

"He was going to kill you, Chloe! Your back was torn to shreds and you were in tears as you _crawled_ on the ground! He had the shotgun, so _what the fuck_ was I supposed to do? 'Oh, Nathan, you can't do that! That's bad!' Give me a fucking break, Chlo. I…I just get like that when I'm around human blood. You k-know that! I r-ran all the way here from the hospital, so tired and out of my mind that…that…," Max said, her voice trembling as Chloe continued to look away, "I didn't mean to scare you, Che, I didn't-"

"I think I'm going to stay at my mom's for a bit," Chloe said, willing herself to look at Max only to regret it at the look of complete heartbreak on the smaller girl's face, "Don't look at me like that. You can't expect me to be totally fine after what I just fucking saw."

"A-are you…are you breaking up with me…?" Max asked, her body beginning to slightly tremble as tears began to roll down her cheeks. _Goddamnit, Max,_ Chloe thought, _Don't make that face at me. I don't know what the hell is going on with you, or_ any _of this. I…I just…_

"I just need some time, Max," Chloe said as she slowly made her way around the crying, blood-stained brunette. Her legs feeling more stable, Chloe cringed at the thought of what her and Max getting to walk away from all of this cost the both of them tonight. _Maybe even further than just tonight_ , Chloe thought as she headed down the path. Hearing "You promised! You promised that you wouldn't leave me!" from a weeping Max still on the hilltop, Chloe wiped streaming tears off of her face with the back of her hand as she walked down the solitary path.

Making it down to her mom's car, Chloe muttered to herself as she fumbled in the backseat for her jacket. Stripping her bloody tank-top off, Chloe carefully put the jacket on and zipped it up before she looked at the mess on the ground. _Well, that's fucked_ , Chloe thought as she poked at the mess of tattered fabric and blood. Picking up a clean part between two fingers, Chloe held it at arm's length as she went over to the dumpster across the lot. Wrinkling her nose at the smell inside, Chloe opened the dumpster up and moved the bags around until she found a space at the bottom and stuffed the shirt there.

Covering up the shirt with the full trash bags, Chloe let the dumpster lid slam as she closed it and walked over to a water fountain. Rinsing her hands off in the small drinking fountain, Chloe felt herself begin to shake as she saw the dried blood speckled across her hands. Scrubbing her hands against each other vigorously, Chloe then splashed water on her face and wiped away any blood that might still be there. For a second, Chloe thought she heard the sound of someone crying trailing down the hill and shivered at the image of Max standing up there in a mess of blood and tears. _Need to get my own shit together right now. Max…I'll have to try and figure_ that _out later._

The drive to Two Whales felt like it took forever, Chloe opting to leave the radio off as she made her way through Arcadia Bay. Max on unrelentingly on her mind, Chloe thought she saw the brunette out of the corner of her eye nearly the entire time she was heading to Joyce. _I would tell myself to just breathe, but I don't actually breathe anymore. Still, I saw Max do it so maybe it helps…fuck. Max._

Pulling into the parking lot, Chloe quickly got out of the car and made her way directly to the entrance of the diner. Seeing her mom preoccupied with a family sitting in one of the booths, Chloe opted to sit on a stool at the counter. Absently spinning around a salt shaker, Chloe couldn't get out of her own head. _Has this, whatever it is with Max, been building up? Could that end up being me…?_

"Chloe!" Joyce said, Chloe nearly jumping off her stool before remembering where she was, "I've seen you jumpy, but that was something new? Chlo, what's wrong? You look like a wreck, hunny."

"Thanks for the reputable parenting skills, Mom," Chloe snapped back instinctively before closing her eyes and looking at her mom with a weary expression, "I…Max and I got, well, we kinda got into it. Can I come over and crash in my old room?"

"Of course you can, Chloe," Joyce said as she affectionately laid her hand over Chloe's, "Despite evidence to the contrary, you _are_ my daughter. Something tells me there's some responsibility that comes with that…"

"Well, at least we know where I get _half_ of my sense of humor from," Chloe replied, smirking, "Can you do me a favor, though? If Max comes by here, let her know that I need some clothes. I don't want to go back to the apartment. Don't feel like bumping into her."

"It's that bad?"

"You have no idea, Mom. It's hella bad."

Cutting her mom off before Joyce could inquire further, Chloe got up from the counter and waved feebly at Joyce before heading out the door. She wanted to walk, walk away from everything. The junkyard wasn't safe, Max might go there in search for her. _God, she might fucking pop up at the house. Peek in through the window like she did before_. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Chloe closed her eyes and tried to calm her thoughts. Pulling a crumpled pack of cigarettes out of her back pocket, she cringed for a moment before finding a single cigarette that had remained undamaged.

Knowing that the cigarette wouldn't actually do anything for her, Chloe lit the tobacco anyway and took a drag as she walked down the sidewalk. _Maybe I'm eternally destined to be fucked up by everyone I love. Dad, Max, Rachel, and Max again. Now I'm stuck like_ this _and the only person I can share it with is also the most terrifying fucking thing I've ever seen._ Chloe looked up as she pulled herself from her thoughts and groaned before changing direction, realizing that she was unconsciously heading toward the apartment and not Joyce's. Stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets, Chloe shut the world out and put herself on autopilot as she tried to process everything from the lighthouse.

Chloe knew, in the furthest reaches of her mind, that Max was right on some level. Nathan had intended to kill them both, which was clear. _Little shit had my shotgun,_ Chloe thought as she tossed the cigarette butt onto the street. Nathan was going to kill them, and Max attacked him to save them both. It wasn't the first time that Chloe had been in danger from Prescott and his fondness for guns. Chloe thought of the time when Max had held him over the cliff's edge, warning him away from both herself and Chloe. _She hadn't intended to kill Asscott then, but this time was different_. Chloe thought of Max sinking her fangs into Nathan's neck, the way she had toyed with Nathan before digging her teeth into him. Unable to be for certain what the endgame with Nathan would have been if she hadn't intervened, that was proving to be the point Chloe couldn't reconcile.

 _Max isn't a killer_ , a voice inside of her told Chloe. What Chloe knew about Max, however, was outweighed by what Max had done opening up the prospect of what Chloe might _not_ know. Hearing something get knocked over nearby, Chloe's eyes darted around and she felt a measure of relief at the raccoon poking around a dumpster across the street. Feeling her phone vibrate inside her jeans as she came to the block where Joyce's house was, Chloe stopped and pulled it out to see a text from Kate. _Huh?_

 **Kate: hey what is going on? Max called. In tears.**

 **Chloe: wat did she say?**

 **Kate: She wouldn't talk about it, save that you two were fighting. I thought she was feeling better…**

 **Chloe: We…we had a difference of opinion on something pretty big**

 **Chloe: I'm staying at my mom's atm, don't really want 2 c her**

 **Kate: I'm sorry. U want company?**

 **Chloe: u serious? I figured you would be Team Max or whatever**

 **Kate: I'm here for you both. I think of you both as friends.**

 **Chloe: no thx**

Texting Kate her thanks for the offer, Chloe pocketed her phone as she resumed walking. Making her way up the sidewalk with Joyce's house to her right, Chloe entered the darkened house and flipped on the hallway light. Blinking as her eyes adjusted, Chloe browed the contents of the fridge for a moment before heading upstairs. _It's still light out. I guess I should just crash._

Chloe flipped on the power strip plugged in near the door and felt a pleasant feeling of welcome as she the room became dimly illuminated by the string of party lights she had put up years ago. Walking over to the bed, sheets and blankets an unmade mess, Chloe let herself fall onto it and paused as she thought about how it felt to be back in her old room. While it wasn't unpleasant, she didn't really consider this room home anymore. Chloe hadn't _entirely_ considered it home for years, but there had always been a part of her that felt comfortable here. Small reminders of her past, the dresser her dad had made and the cabinet she and Max had painted when they were kids, had given the small space a warm familiarity that made living in the same space as her step-dick tolerable at times. Smirking at the thought of David, Chloe wondered to her own amazement what he was doing before her vision glanced over the cabinet sitting in the corner across from her.

The same blue as her hair, the worn piece of furniture had small bits of graffiti scrawled across it. Other than that, it was bare as she and Joyce had gone through the room together to decide what Chloe would take with her to the apartment and what could be left behind for possibly later on. Grabbing an old pillow, Chloe put it over her head and let out a loud " _Ughhhh_ " as the cabinet made her think of Max before she peeked back out of it and smirked.

 _The old Max_ , Chloe thought with a grin, _a face full of freckles and braces. Oh, what a total fucking nerd. I was a complete nerd, too, but Max was like 'Queen Nerd of Nerdonia'._ Pulling the pillow off of her face, Chloe stared up at the ceiling as she remembered all the fun they'd had as kids. Smiling slyly, Chloe remembered when she had dared Max to kiss her. Neither girl had realized that they would be separated from each other in a couple months, let alone that they wouldn't really see each other again for five years. While Chloe had just been having a bit of fun at the expense of Max's extreme shyness, she had been the one to become shy when Max stood on her tip-toes and leaned over to give Chloe a soft kiss on the lips. _Fuck. I wonder if that was the start of it for her, her feelings for me. That kiss, dude, was an epic fail but also…kinda nice._

Chloe didn't pay attention as time passed around her, staring up into her own mind as she pulled herself into memory after memory. The memory of Max leaving shortly after Chloe's dad passed away cause a faint whimper of pain to escape Chloe's lips, the memory of Max returning to save her life eclipsing over the past heartbreak. Max had been so powerful, saving Chloe from Frank without any hesitation. Chloe could handle herself in most spots, but Frank was crazy and she never knew what he might have on him. _Dude's fucking bat-shit. Good for some weed, but bad for everything else. Chalk up one for the Maxster._

Max being visualized in her mind, Chloe groaned as the image wouldn't seem to go away. Pressing her face into the pillow as though hiding herself from her own thoughts would protect her, Chloe peered up into the window half-expecting Max to be there. She couldn't help but grin at the recent memory of Max and her writing on the window as Max asked for permission to come inside. _She was hella cute. She…_ is _hella cute? Ugh, I don't know what the fuck she is!_

Not remembering when she fell asleep, Chloe woke up and looked down at her jacket with a grimace as she realized she hadn't even bothered to change. Stumbling over to her dresser, Chloe pulled open the bottom shelf and retrieved her emergency stash of shirts. Unzipping the jacket, Chloe touched the now-smooth skin where the small of her back was before pulling a black Misfits tank-top on and crashing back into the bed. Turning around so that she was lying on her back, Chloe pulled her phone out of her pocked and swiped the menu open. _No messages from her. I'm kinda sad, I think. I don't think I'll_ ever _forget what the fuck I saw earlier, but she looked so sad when I left the lighthouse. Her cries, her fucking cries._ Tossing the phone on her discarded jacket, Chloe was about to go back to sleep when she heard the front door open.

"-I get that, Max. I really do, and I'm sorry for whatever is going on between you two. I just don't think that it is a good idea for you to see her without letting her know first," Chloe heard Joyce say from downstairs. _She's here?_ Chloe moved as stealthily as she could, creeping up to the door and cracking it open so she could see down the stairs.

A mop of coppery brunette hair stood in the doorway with Chloe's suitcase in one hand. Changed into clean clothes, Max was trying to stifle her sobs but Chloe could clearly see _and_ hear that Max was crying. _Her voice is hella tired. Dude, are you still crying from before? Jesus fuck, Max._

"I know, Joyce. I-I know," Chloe heard Max say, "How is she?"

"I only saw her for a bit at the diner, but she looked tired. She seemed pretty upset, though, even by Chloe standards," Chloe heard Joyce reply. _Wow. Thanks, Mom. Didn't know I had my own level of bullshit._

Watching Max just nod in reply, Chloe opened her mouth to speak but stifled her words down. Having figured that _some_ noise had escaped her, Chloe watched Max look up in her direction before closing the door. Chloe didn't bother to listen in on whatever else the two people downstairs said. Pulling a pair of old earbuds from a back pocket, Chloe slipped the buds into her ears before plugging into her phone. Blasting a playlist titled "Bakery", Chloe selected Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride" as she zoned out again.

Waking up to a faint stream of the morning Sun smacking her in the face, Chloe pulled her blankets over her head as she hissed in irritation.

"Aghh, go the fuck away," a groggy sounding voice said as it escaped from the mound of blankets, "This is such bullshit. I wake up earlier now that I'm dead than I did when I was alive. This is unending jetlag, and I want a fucking refund!"

"Chloe?" Chloe heard come from the other side of the door, "Chloe, you have a visitor."

"Wha?" Chloe said as she sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. _Sleep should be an optional thing. Fucking unfair vampire bullshit, I just wanna sleep!_

"I said that you have a visitor," Joyce said as she spoke to someone else who was standing by the door.

"Hi, Chloe," a familiar voice said in a friendly tone.

"Kate?" _Get the fuck out. Seriously, you tracked me down? You sure you're not a vampire?_

"I come bearing the gift of coffee, and your mom's pancakes," Kate said as she knocked gently on the door, "May I come in?"

"…Permission granted," Chloe said as she straightened up her clothes and pulled her beanie on.

Kate came in, smiling, and snickered a bit at the graffiti and various signs of the room's current resident. Seeing Chloe gesture toward the desk, Kate set down the cup of coffee and pancake-laden plate and sat in the old office chair. Dressed in her usual garb, Kate folded her hands across her lap as she smiled warmly at a sleepy Chloe.

" _Dude_ ," Chloe said as she stood up and yawned, "Are you high? It's way-too-early-for-this-shit o' clock."

"Well, I figured you could use some company," Kate said with a smirk before handing the pancakes over, "These are really good. Are they the ones at the diner, too?"

"Yeah. Mom's got mad skills in the breakfast-making department," Chloe said as she picked at the pancakes before taking a bite, the memory of warm fluffiness and syrup alleviating some of the residual tension from yesterday, "Actually, she's pretty much a master of the kitchen. She feed you?"

"I don't think I'll need to eat another breakfast for a week," Kate giggled, eliciting a small fit of laughter as a small burp escaped her lips, "Oh! Sorry."

"Kate, what do you _not_ blush about? Puppies? Rainbows?"

Both girls giggled as Chloe ate another forkful of pancakes, Kate taking the coffee for herself at Chloe's denial of the beverage. The room was quiet for a few minutes, save the noise of a fork scraping against a plate and light sipping sounds. Setting the plate down with half the pancakes still present, Chloe reached for her cigarettes before remembering that she had no whole ones left. Mumbling, Chloe scratched at her beanie some before looking up to see Kate watching her with growing concern.

"This isn't just a friendly visit, is it?" Chloe asked, leaning back as she propped herself up in the bed with her elbows, "Did Max send you?"

"I sent myself, I will have you know," Kate said, feigning being insulted, "I'm not here for Max. I'm here because of the both of you. I don't know what is going on-"

"Dude, it's not something I really-" Chloe interrupted, only to be cut off herself.

"-and I don't need to know. What I understand is that I've talked with Max about you two before."

"…Wait. You _have_?" Chloe asked, her tone one of confusion and surprise. _When was this?_

"At the time, she was upset because she felt that you never backed her up or stood by her. She loves you more than I think I've ever seen someone love. Looking at you, though, it's clear that you love her just as much."

"I'm not denying that, Kate, and I'm not saying that I _can't_ be with her right now. It's just that…things went down yesterday that neither of us can really take back, and now…shit's complicated," Chloe said, putting her head into her hands as she sat back up. Running her fingers through her hair, Chloe stared down at the floor as she thought about her conflicting feelings.

"When isn't love complicated?" Kate asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh?" Chloe asked, her head snapping back up as she picked up something in Kate's tone, "Doth Kate Marsh haveth a crush on someone?"

"S-stop. Don't tease," Kate said, looking away for a moment as she began to blush.

"No way! You _totally_ do! Who is it? Is it someone I know?" Chloe asked, her eyes wide as a smile spread across her face, "Spill, dude! Quid pro quo, Clarice, and all that shit!"

"…No…," Kate said, still looking away as her face reddened.

"Pretty please? With a cherry and everything?" Chloe said as she moved to kneel at Kate's feet. She pulled her head back a bit when Kate turned her head to look at Chloe with a serious expression.

"It's…it's always been you, Chloe," Kate said as she put a hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"W-what…?" Chloe said, her eyes widening further in shock as she stammered, "What..what the-?"

"Wow, you're pretty gullible for someone who is always a smart-ass," Kate said with a grin as she began to giggle at Chloe's look of shock.

Realizing she'd been duped, Chloe grimaced as she stood up and put her hands to her heart like she'd been shot. Falling onto the bed, she shook her body a bit before the memory of Nathan shooting flashed into her mind. Stiffening, Chloe bit her lip as the memory brought with it the events at the lighthouse and a small cry escaped her lips.

"Chloe…?" Kate asked as Chloe covered her eyes with an arm as she started to cry.

"She's…she's so fucking terrifying sometimes," Chloe choked out, "Other times, she's the only thing I can see. Kate…what do I do? I need some hella sage wisdom, Lady Jesus."

Chloe felt the bedsprings creak slightly as Kate sat next to her. A hand placed on her leg, Chloe peeked out from under her arm to look at Kate with teary eyes. Sitting up, Chloe let the other girl hold her as she let out her tears while her body mildly shook. _My heart can't decide if it is breaking or not. Goddamnit._ Hearing the sounds of someone coming to the door, Chloe lifted her eyes up while keeping her head downcast as Joyce came in.

"Oh. Oh, Chloe," Joyce said as she knelt in front of her daughter and wrapped Chloe in a hug as Kate let her go, "Hey. Hey, everything will work out. Okay? I don't know what's going on between you two, but I do know how much you each mean to one another."

"But she's so…," Chloe said, her voice giving away the weary state of her heart. _She's amazing, scary as fuck, beautiful, a total mystery. She's…she's Max._

"Staying in this room until you think everything will be okay is exactly what you did for five years, Chloe Price," Joyce said as she began to pick up on what Chloe's idea of fixing things was, "Max pulled you out, and you pulled Max in. Go and talk to the girl. You two owe each other that, at least. Don't make me kick you out of this house, Chloe."

"Mom!" Chloe said with a frown, feeling slightly betrayed, "You'd seriously kick me out?"

"Not permanently, Chloe. God, what kind of mom d'you think I am?" Joyce said with a hand on her hip as Kate stood up to leave, turning and waving at Chloe before heading down the stairs. _She knows a moment to escape when she sees it. Kate "Blackwell Ninja" Marsh, ladies and gentlemen,_ Chloe thought as she looked back up to see her mom staring at her impatiently.

"Now? You want me to go _right now_?" Chloe sputtered out.

"Have you finished eating?" Joyce asked.

"Uh, yeah. I guess-"

"Then yes, _now_. I'm not going to watch you hide yourself away like you did when Max left, Chloe. She's here, and whatever is going on, you two need to figure out what you have. Jesus, Chloe, you proposed to her and now you're here the morning after you gave her your grandmother's engagement ring!"

"…Shit," Chloe said as she realized her mom made sense. _Moms should be banned from going into their children's private lives. Ugh, you just had to bring up Grandma. Just_ had _to, huh Mom?_

Standing up, Chloe looked at her mom with a mean stare as she bit her lip. The mixed feelings from yesterday came back with a vengeance as she tried to fathom what she might say to Max before she felt Joyce's hand on her arm. Looking over to her mom, Chloe saw Max's sports bottle in her hand. _Holy fucking hella Jesus shit!_

"I don't know what it is that Max drinks," Joyce said as she handed it to Chloe with a slight grimace, "but you should tell her that even _if_ it is healthy that is sure as hell don't _smell_ healthy."

Quickly nodding, Chloe smiled nervously at her mom as she backpedaled out the door and scrambled down the stairs. _I don't know if that means she opened this or not but either way thank God she didn't ask any questions!_ Chloe thought as she ran out the front door. Pausing for a moment, Chloe turned around to head back into the house when she saw her mom standing in the doorway with Chloe's phone in her hand.

"Forget something in your sudden rush to get out of here?" Joyce asked with eyebrows raised, "Maybe I should have opened that up, seen what it is that Max is drinking…"

"ThanksMombyelater!" Chloe rushed out as she ran over to Joyce, snatched up her phone, and ran off in the direction of the bus stop. _I don't really pray, but thanks whoever is watching. Maybe Kate's Jesus-ness is rubbing off, karma or some shit like that…_

The bus ride felt way too short to Chloe as she sat in the back of the bus and tried to think of what words _needed_ to come out versus what might come out instead. _Gah, I've never been this anxious around Max before. Ever. Ugh, I'm not a little fucking tweenager anymore! Woman the fuck up, Chloe Price!_ Trying to pump herself up, Chloe felt a tugging sensation in her stomach as a growl built up from her abdomen. Cringing slightly, Chloe looked around to make sure no one was watching. Satisfied at her temporary privacy, Chloe opened up the metal sports bottle and tipped it to her mouth as she started to drink its contents. _Wait. Does this shit go bad?_ Chloe shook her head, driving the image of what drinking spoiled blood out of her thoughts.

Arriving at the stop, about a block away from the apartment, Chloe walked hesitantly along the isle in the bus before stepping outside. Looking up at the driver before the doors closed, Chloe gave him the middle finger as she saw the look of irritation on his face. _Dude, life crisis. Fucking deal._ The half-empty bottle dangling in one hand, Chloe walked decidedly slow as she made her way around the corner and across the street to the apartment building. Standing in front of it, Chloe looked up at the blacked-out windows and sighed as she looked over to the alleyway. Walking arduously, Chloe walked around the building and looked up at the landing to see Max sitting on the roof above the doorway, looking out towards the seascape.

"Uh…hey…," Chloe said quietly, realizing that Max may not have heard her. _We_ do _both tend to space out_. "Hey, Max."

Chloe suppressed a grin as Max looked down so fast she fell off the roof. Regaining her composure, Max landed gracefully in front of the apartment door and bounded down the steps as she ran over. Coming up a few paces from where Chloe was standing, Max halted and looked away in embarrassment as she scratched at the back of her head, a worried and anxious look on her face. _Still shy as fuck, despite being a…never mind…_

"Hey," Max said, hanging her head as she grimaced, "Um, what's up?"

"So, my maternal unit has decided that we should talk. Otherwise, I face fucking exile," Chloe said, finding that she also was looking away, "So…"

"Yeah?" Max asked, her voice nearly as quiet as a whisper.

"Is it cool if I come in?" Chloe asked. _Fuck. This is my place, too. It still is, isn't it?_

"O-Of course you can!" Max blurted out, her excitement getting the best of her for a moment before she calmed herself down. "I mean, of course you may come in."

"Nice save, Max," Chloe said with a slight smirk as she walked ahead of Max towards the steps leading up to the apartment.

"S-Shut up," Max stuttered, looking away with a small _humph_.

"Still awkward as fuck."

"Oh, you suck, Chloe. Boooooo."

Handing Max her sports bottle back and hearing a muttered "Oh. Thanks." in response, Chloe walked down the hallway and was surprised to see the apartment still in one piece. Thinking about the last time Max had flown into a rage in their place, Chloe was amazed that not only was the apartment still whole but actually pristine. Looking over at Max, Chloe smiled in embarrassment as she saw the chagrined look on Max's face. _Oops. I guess I didn't hide my surprise that well. Bad Chloe, bad!_

"Of _course_ I'm going to level the apartment, what with my nerd rage in full effect," Max said irritably as she moved to sit on the couch, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"What were you expecting me to think, Max?" Chloe asked, her tone one of bewilderment as she felt Max should have known what to expect, "I see you rip into Nathan Prescott and the next second you're singing to fucking animals like an undead Snow White?"

Both girls grew silent at the mention of Nathan Prescott, albeit for different reasons. Chloe was half-tempted to get up and leave, not wanting to press herself or Max any further. Looking toward the hallway for a moment, Chloe steeled herself and looked back to see Max was watching her in silence. _She_ is _still Max, but there's something different. She's, I dunno, more relaxed…?_

"What the fuck were you thinking?" was the first thing to come out of Chloe's mouth, Chloe immediately chiding herself after the question shot out of her. _Fucking godddamnit. Smooth, Chloe. So smooth._

"I…I just wanted to save you," Max said, her voice quiet as she looked down, hands in her lap, "I think I was dying, Chloe, so I did what I felt I had no other choice to do."

"You could have just spooked him. Shit, he was already terrified when you got in his face," Chloe shot back before she caught something Max had said. _She was dying?_

"I know, but I was just…I was _so_ _hungry_ , Chloe. I basically sprinted almost the entire way _around_ Arcadia Bay to get to you. In daylight with nothing in my system. I told you how things work during the day."

"Hold up. Did you say that you thought you were _dying_?" Chloe said, her face and tone very serious as she sat up straight in the chair.

"I was…Dog, I don't want to talk about this," Max said, fidgeting with her hands as she awkwardly looked away.

" _Talk_ , Max, or I will fucking leave right now," Chloe said, eyes narrowing slightly. Tilting her head up, Max saw the look on Chloe's face and became visibly pained at Chloe meaning it when she said she would leave.

"I…I felt my body stiffen, like everything was getting sucked out of me. I could barely move, I was so empty that I could sprint only small distances before I would bowl over in pain. Then…"

"Then?" Chloe asked, feeling concerned. _What the shit did she go through? She looks more scared than I felt yesterday._

"I…I saw myself standing before me, the me that died in Seattle," Max said, putting her head in her hands as she began to cry. Not knowing whether or not she should go to Max and comfort her, Chloe sighed and motioned to walk over to the couch when Max raised a hand to stop her.

"I'm…I'm alright," Max said slowly, wiping at her face with a sleeve from the hoodie she was wearing.

"Yeah, _obviously_." Chloe felt the sting of her irritation hit Max as the other girl visibly winced and felt her concern grow. "Sorry. You're just really shitty sometimes at taking care of yourself. Go on."

"It was some figment of my imagination. I know that, I'm not stupid. She was so real, though, and she did nothing but taunt me. Talked how I was a terrible person, a _monster_ , how I betrayed both myself and you b-by turning you into what I am…"

"Jesus, Max," Chloe said as she put pulled her beanie off and rubbed at her hair as the idea of being taunted and beaten up by another version of herself made Chloe shudder.

"I think she was supposed to be a part of me that I needed to acknowledge," Max said, visibly uncomfortable from talking about what she saw, "She made me realize something, though. I can't pretend like I'm human. I can't act like everything is fine and like it was when I was still alive, Chloe."

"Eh…?" Chloe asked, puzzled by what Max was trying to say. _What does_ that _mean?_

"I've never really accepted what I am now. Sure, I do stuff like run really fast, and I'm really strong, but I also shut out some of it. The idea of drinking human blood, the idea of hunting _people_ …," Max started before looking up to see if Chloe was going to say anything.

"How about the idea of force-feeding me human blood?" Chloe asked, a hint of anger in her voice as she narrowed her eyes a bit more at Max.

"You needed to heal faster, and I wasn't thinking straight," Max protested, matching Chloe's anger with her own tone of hurt and irritation.

"You were terrifying up there, Max! You were like a totally different person! I've seen you angry, I've seen you hunt, but I've _never_ seen you like that. You _scared_ me, and you still kinda do," Chloe said looking away with a pained expression on her face.

"I don't want to scare you, Chloe. I absolutely don't," Max said as she got up from the couch and moved over to kneel in front of the chair, "But this is part of me, and it is part of you now, too. I still don't plan on drinking human blood, Chloe-"

"Yeah, you say that _now_ …" Chloe muttered through gritted teeth as she tried to keep herself angry. _No. I refuse to accept this. Max crossed a line she set herself. This is bullshit, this is…oh, fuck. That face. Goddamnit!_ " _You_ drew a line for yourself, one where you wouldn't feed on a person-"

"I fed on you."

"That is _way_ fucking different than yesterday, Max. Us? That was…that was intimate, and admittedly amazeballs. Yesterday? You were like a fiend."

"I regret having to go that far, feeding on Nathan, but I'm _not_ sorry. I'm not sorry because the _only_ outcome I saw is that if he didn't kill us right there he would just try again. You have the view of someone who saw me feed on him, but you don't know it felt."

"You were fucking playing with him, Max!" Chloe yelled as she stood up and nearly knocked Max over. "I saw you fucking toying with him while he cried. Yes, he's Asscott, but even _I_ wouldn't fucking do what you did!"

"Well, congratulations on your ability to not have been put in my position, Chloe. Congrats on not being at the point of death with the _one person_ you would do _anything_ for is lying at your feet, unable to fucking move, and all you can think of is to make yourself strong so that you can save her. I told you I was out of my head, I _told_ you what the hunger can bring out in you. You think, when my head cleared up, that I was _happy_ about what I did?" Max snapped back as she stood up with her fists clenched.

"I think you were bat-shit and didn't know left from goddamn right, Max, but I _can't_ get the image of you up on that hill out of my goddamn head! I know you looked like absolute shit and I watched him shoot you _point-blank_ in the stomach. You…you folded over like you were dead and all I c-could think of… _ugh_ , fuck this! I don't know what to say, Max!"

Throwing up her hands, Chloe let out an agitated groan and turned around as she paced in the living room while Max stood still and watched her with fists still clenched.

"Why the fuck couldn't you just have scared him?" Chloe asked as she paced, her voice breaking as she began to cry, "Why did you have to do that, Max, feed on him? You scared the shit out of me and now you're telling me that I might be like that and you accept it? What if I _don't_? What if I saw what you did and was just ' _Nope'_?!"

"I would say that I'm sorry I ever turned you, and that you have no choice," Max uttered, her tone remorseful as she looked at Chloe with an expression of utter sadness.

Chloe snarled as she spun around at Max's words and shoved Max so hard she flew into the kitchen, falling to the floor after hitting some of the shelves near the ceiling. Stomping after her prey, Chloe felt her fangs pop out as she grabbed the fallen Max and threw her again. Max careened across the apartment and landed with a loud _thud_ against the brick wall before falling on her side, her eyes streaming red tears at the look of rage on Chloe's face.

" _What did you do to me?!"_ Chloe felt come screeching out of her throat as she lifted Max to her feet and struck Max across the jaw with a pale fist before rearing back and hitting her again with each cry of " _Why why why why why?!"_

As she hit Max, Chloe's grief over what had happened to her welled up and mixed with her fear of Max, fear of herself becoming like what she had seen Max become. _No no no no no!_ Chloe thought as she began to punch the wall next to where Max's bleeding face was. With each punch, Chloe felt part of herself give way as she would see Max in the edge of her narrowing vision, crying as she stared up with her bleeding face at Chloe.

Feeling her fist crunch after another punch to the wall, Chloe pulled her broken hand back and hissed at the crack in the wall she had made. Her whole body shaking, Chloe couldn't think straight and felt herself slipping as the image of Max and Nathan Prescott flooded her mind. She screamed in pain and anger, wanting to drop a bomb on her entire world, when she suddenly felt herself seized up in two strong arms.

 _What?_

Chloe looked down and saw the injured Max pinning herself against Chloe's struggling body. Trying to squirm out of Max's steely hold, Chloe yelled at Max, screamed things at her that made Max wince and cry even harder. Still, Max wouldn't let the enraged Chloe go and held on even tighter.

"Get off me! Get the fuck off! You did this to me, you! I hate you, I fucking hate you! This is bullshit! I shouldn't have to…have to…" Chloe screamed before a memory flashed through her head.

The police officers had been blunt but kind when they told Chloe what had happened. Max was still in the kitchen, oblivious to what was happening, when Chloe came rushing in and began to toss the pancakes and the skillet on the floor before she began to tear through the rest of the kitchen and move on to the dining room area.

"Chloe! Chloe, what's wrong?!" Max yelled at the screaming and crying Chloe, ducking when Chloe's arm swung in her direction as she threw one of the family photo albums.

"He's dead, Max! My dad is dead! He was in a car accident and he's gone and why the hell does this have to happen to me!? _WHY_!?" Chloe screamed as she shoved Max. Max's back hit the dining table's edge with an audible noise and Max whimpered in pain from the impact. Chloe's rage dissipated as she saw Max wincing from the pain. "Oh…oh, fuck! Max…Max, I'm so-"

Max slammed into her, nearly knocking them both over as she latched onto Chloe like nothing Chloe had felt from the little brunette before. Looking down as the anger turned into shock, Chloe saw Max's face buried in her sweatshirt, the other girl sobbing as she continued to hold onto Chloe. Her lip beginning to quiver, Chloe felt her legs give as she landed on her knees and began to cry. Chloe looked at Max, the girl now kneeling beside her but still gripping onto Chloe, and saw Max looking at her with teary eyes that only expressed the love Chloe had come to know from her best friend. Returning Max's tight hold with one of her own, both girls cried in each other's arms as time went on around them.

" _Why did I have to die?_ " Chloe cried as she felt her body begin to go limp, the memory of her father dying and Max's comforting her breaking the hold her rage had taken, "Max…Max, _why_ did you have to do what you did?"

"Chloe, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for everything, for leaving you here for so long and for bringing my bullshit with me when I came back! I didn't want for you to die! I wanted you to grow old and watch you become even more beautiful! You're the most important thing in my life! I never wanted this for you, not ever! Please, please believe me! I am so sorry!" Max cried out as the sobbing Chloe fell to her knees. Her entire body shaking from the torrent of pain exuding from within her, Chloe brought her shaking arms around Max's small frame. Wincing at her broken hand as she clasped herself around Max, Chloe matched strength for strength with Max's embrace and both girls cried into each other's arms as the grief from the other day, the past three days, and the past five years waylaid them both.

 **Author's Note – I fucking made myself cry with this ending. Goddamnit.**

 **Wow, 20 chapters.** _ **Jesus fuck**_ **, am I right? When I first started this, I had a vague idea how long it would go but I've surpassed that because with every chapter I do I come up with new ideas and story threads that I might have otherwise not thought of. In answer to a question I get a** _ **lot**_ **, no I don't have the whole thing written out. I write this daily, one chapter at a time, encouraged by my own imagination and the enthusiasm of** _ **all of us**_ **. For this fandom, for the love all of you give me for this fic, I cannot stress how much it means to me that I feel so welcomed here. With everything I have going on in my life right now, you all and this story are a blessed escape. A sometimes really fucked up escape, but blessed nonetheless.**

 **Back to this chapter, I left the confrontation between Chloe and Max at the end without a real conclusion because I feel that both girls have been through so much that there may never** _ **be**_ **a definitive conclusion. That's what a relationship can be sometimes, the rebuilding of trust and love and adding on or replacing as time goes by when conflict between partners rears its butt-ugly head.**

 **On another subject before I close this out - if you have an idea for me about a story that you want to share, I don't mind you doing so. But I signed up for this site and am doing these stories because they're ones that are already in my head. The whole point of writing fanfiction or coming up with story ideas, to me, is for you to express** _ **yourself**_ **. So, if you want to share that is totally cool. I'm not going to write your stories for you, however, and I feel that you should try yourself.**

 **Read, review, and I will see you for Chapter 21! Like the song from Buffy Season 6's musical says, "Where do we go from here?"**

 **I know where, and you'll soon find out.**

 **Stay hella, you beautiful cinnamon rolls! :D**


	21. Chapter 21

**Obstacles (If you** _ **really**_ **don't know where this song came from, I honestly have nothing to say to you. For cereal.)**

 **Be chill, Cinnamon Rolls. Diet Angst, I swear. It's even _lemon_ -flavored ;)**

"Does it hurt?"

"Well, it's not fucking pleasant, Che. How's the hand?"

"Ugh, it's like I hit a brick wall."

"You're cracking a _joke_? After…after everything?"

"Gotta start sometime, Max. Makes me feel less shitty 'bout your face."

"Girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, I guess. You 'gotta do' some pretty fucked-up shit, though."

The entire apartment was dark aside from the single light emanating from the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet, Max winced as Chloe dabbed at her face with a dampened washcloth, the hot water leaving the fabric steaming as it was pressed gingerly against the split lip and skin on Max's face. Her jaw initially dislocated from the impact of Chloe's fist, Max had set it back in place almost immediately once she and Chloe uncoupled.

Both girls sobbing as they sat on the floor, Max had winced as she realized that her mouth was getting increasingly sore. Feeling along her jawline with tentatively soft touches, Max rolled her eyes as she realized that Chloe's punches had dislocated her jaw. Being thankful that Chloe's outburst of strength had peaked with the second throw against the wall, Max shut her eyes tight and winced as she put her jaw back into place. Letting out a cry of relief as she tested her jaw by opening and closing her mouth, Max had looked over to see Chloe with her own jaw dropped.

"Whoa, that was so cool," Chloe absently remarked before remembering that it was because of her that Max looked like a mess, "I mean, umm, sorry."

Seeing Max look down towards Chloe's midsection, Chloe looked down at the broken hand she was cradling on her lap. Watching Max stumble and shake her head a bit as she got up, Chloe took the hand Max offered and let herself be led into the bathroom by the small brunette before Max headed off toward the kitchen. Chloe winced apologetically as she heard Max kick at the cabinet doors that had come off from her impact against them. _Shit,_ Chloe thought as she heard Max make a _humph_ sound that was followed by the clattering of a stack of wooden doors being put on the kitchen counter. _Double shit._

Returning with two Styrofoam cups complete with bendy straws, Max offered one to Chloe and began to gingerly sip from the other. Max winced as her jaw popped from being newly set back in place when she opened her mouth to take in the straw, making Chloe wince reflexively in return. _Yeah, you better wince. Fucking jerk_ , Max thought as she eyed Chloe for a moment before rolling her eyes and slurping down the contents of her cup. Setting her cup down next to the bathtub, Max carefully got up and braced herself against the wall as a bout of dizziness hit her.

"You okay?" Chloe said as she clenched her teeth from examining her broken hand.

"I think I might sit back down in a bit," Max said as she put a hand to her temple and squeezed her eyes shut, "You really should drink that."

Looking over to where Max was pointing, Chloe had completely forgotten about the cup Max had brought. Eyeing it suspiciously, Chloe looked over at Max with an eyebrow raised in question.

"What's in it?" Chloe asked, her face deadpan.

"Ugh, animal blood. _Like usual_. Thanks again for the vote of confidence, Chloe," Max said with a tired sigh.

"Hey, I'm just-"

"Can we _not_ go at it again right now, Chlo? I'd like it if we could take a time-out so that I don't pass out and you get a chance for your hand to heal some. It's animal blood, not human, and I wouldn't fucking feed you human unless it was _absolutely necessary_ ," Max said, dead-tired as she looked at Chloe.

"Sure. Sorry, Max," Chloe said before directing her attention to the injured hand lying in her lap. _I_ am _sorry, y'know. Max flips her shit on Nathan and I flip_ my _shit on Max. Fucking ridiculous._

Max walked over to the sink and grabs a hand mirror that is sitting on a shelf just above the basin. Lifting it up, Max looks at her face and grimaces at the bruises and cuts. _Wowsers, Chloe, I knew you were furious but damn_. Carefully touching the more painful looking injuries, Max let out a slight hiss through gritted teeth at the level of soreness she felt. Looking down to see Chloe watching her with a pained expression, Max pointed at the cup now sitting in Chloe's lap next to the broken hand and mouthed _Drink_ before resuming her examination.

Now seated on the toilet, Max let Chloe dab away at the wounds on her face with the washcloth, closing her eyes every time she felt a jolt of pain run through her face. _Sure, I heal. Doesn't mean it isn't painful, owowowowowww! Chloe!_ Max grimaced before smirking at Chloe as she took the other girl's hand and gently set it removed it from her face. Moving her jaw around slowly, Max felt the skin of her face stretch and contract, send small thrills of pain that went all the way to her scalp.

"Do you need any help with your…your hand?" Max asked as her jaw popped again, "Owwwwww…"

"If I chug this it'll heal up, right?" Chloe took a long drink from her cup and set it back down. "Don't worry about me, Max."

"Mmm," Max acknowledged Chloe's remark before sighing, "So. We going to talk about it, and the discussion that led up to it?"

"I don't think I have as much of a leg to stand on as I did before." Chloe rubbed at her forehead as she searched for words. "You really did fuck up, though. Like, hardcore fuck-up, Max."

"And I told you-" Max started to repeat her words from earlier, her voice raised before Chloe put a hand up to stop her.

"…I know, Max. I'm just trying to get it, I guess. I _want_ to understand why. I just can't reconcile the sweet girl I'm in love with and the person I saw up on that hilltop." Chloe leaned up against the bathroom wall as she looked up at the ceiling. _I get you're both, Max. I get that now, but I don't think I realized what I was getting myself into…_

"Are we breaking up, then?" Max asked, playing with the small gold band on her ring finger.

"No, we're _not breaking up_ ," Chloe said as she slumped her shoulders, "I seriously wish you would stop asking that."

"Then _what_ are we doing?" Max asked as she looked down at Chloe and flinched as the other girl raised her hand to touch Max's face, Chloe visibly wilting from the momentary fear in Max's eyes.

"Sorry! Oh man…," Chloe said while pulling withdrawing her hand, feeling worse by the second as Max's body relax when she pulled her hand back. _What the fuck have I done? She's afraid of my touch?_ "We're…I don't know, Max. I've never been in a serious relationship before, let alone engaged to a vampire and being turned _into_ one," Chloe said, a slight edge to her voice, "Ugh."

Despite their wounds and injuries healing, both girls remained in the bathroom long after. Talking for hours, Max and Chloe solved very little between them before either even stood up from where they were seated. While neither Chloe nor Max were willing to give up on the other, they both agreed that the best thing at the moment would be some privacy to work things out with themselves before tackling each other's problems.

"Will I see you any?" Chloe asked as she looked forlornly at Max from the living room, the other girl trying to reassemble her disastrous-looking kitchen.

"Um," Max said as she began to repair a shelf, "You've still got you tattoo work going on here. I don't know how you feel about doing it right now, considering the blood and how it might make you feel."

"Yeah. I'm not so sure about that, either," Chloe said as she pulled her beanie off and rubbed at her face, "Do we just set up fucking boundaries, try and make things less complicated _mff-_ "

Chloe felt Max's lips on her for a moment before registering the rest of Max's presence. For a time, both girls were oblivious about what they had done to one another and simply held each other tightly as they kissed. Pulling back almost simultaneously, Chloe reached out and watched Max force herself to not flinch as she looked at Chloe intensely. Cupping the uninjured side of Max's face with her hand, Chloe felt the momentary smile she had gained from the kiss fade into a blank expression as the only side of Max's face presently visible was the one marked by her own hands. _I don't think I will ever forgive myself for putting my hands on you. I…I did to you what David did to me. Fuck, Max. Just…just fuck…_

Taking the hand Chloe had placed on her cheek into her own smaller hand, Max lowered it so that their intertwined hands were hung between them and interlocked her fingers into Chloe's. Chloe saw the damaged, fearful look in Max's eyes. _She came back to Arcadia Bay for me, and now she's as terrified of me as I still kinda am of her. Should we even-_

"-be together?" Chloe felt the words slip out before she could stop them, but it was too late. Seeing Max look up at her, eyes beginning to get watery, Chloe bit at her lower lip as she tried to think of something to say.

"I'm _not_ giving up," Chloe heard Max say, surprised at the resoluteness in the smaller girl's voice, "Are you?"

"Hella no," Chloe replied in a soft voice as she gently leaned her forehead against Max's, "I am just totally fucking confused right now."

Max nodded before plopping down on the couch. Patting the seat beside her, Max waited as Chloe hesitated for a moment before sitting next to her. Feeling Max lean against her shoulder, a large part of Chloe just wanted to melt away with how strongly she felt for Max. The other part of her, however, was scared. Scared of what Max had become, what _she_ might become, Chloe couldn't help but think of the future in a less than cheerful perspective.

"We take it slow," Max said, bringing Chloe out of her own thoughts, "I think it would be best if you stayed with Joyce for the time being. We can still hang out, if both of us feel up to it, but I _will_ still need to help you out if you want to get better with controlling your…other attributes. Besides, you _really_ going to try and store blood in Joyce's fridge? Because _that_ will end well." Max and Chloe couldn't help but snicker at the idea of Joyce coming home to find a jug of something red sitting in her fridge.

"Well, I'm sure that it'll be fine so long as I make sure to write my name on it," Chloe said, her small fit of laughter dying down as she looked over at the still-chuckling Max, "So, I come here to refuel and you take me out for vamp training. Anything else, for now, comes down to how both of us feel?"

"Yeah. No need to be attached at the hip like we usually are." Max nodded as she finished saying this, garnering a faint scowl from Chloe in return.

"That sounded like a complaint."

"N-No, it totally wasn't!"

"Whiner."

"S-Shut up, Chloe! You want to go hunting by yourself, lil baby vampire?"

" _Ughhhhh!_ "

Giving Max an awkward hug, Chloe was heading down the steps leading to the apartment when she turned around see Max coming out the door. Walking down the steps, Max zipped up her hoodie and Chloe saw that her little hands were wrapped up in fingerless gloves. Walking past Chloe, Max took the other girl by the hand and led her over to the Vespa leaning against the building.

"Max, you _really_ don't need to give me a ride," Chloe said, shaking her head slightly as she grinned, "Dude. Seriously, you don't have to."

"I know I don't _have_ to. I'm just choosing to do so," Max said as she put her helmet on, "We doing this or are you taking the bus?"

Rolling her eyes, Chloe took the seat's back end and wrapped her arms around Max as the small brunette started her scooter. Leaning into Max's back, Chloe felt the breeze against her face and enjoyed the quiet ride back to her mom's house. While saddened by the divide that was now between Max and herself, Chloe was also optimistic in that both of them refused to let the other go. _Max is more worried about me dumping her, not even considering dumping me. That's pretty hardcore, Max. I'll remember that._

Pulling up to the Price residence, Chloe slid out from behind Max and straightened her beanie out. Leaning down, Chloe gave Max a soft kiss on the cheek before speaking up.

"Tonight then, Maxster?" Chloe said, making a wry face.

"Tonight," Max said before she looked down, pulling her phone out as Chloe headed toward the house, both girls waving as Chloe heard Max say "Hey, Taylor. No no, you can go on in. I'll be there in a few minutes."

 _Tonight_ , Chloe considered as she leaned against the closed door, hearing Max speed off back the way she came, _Maybe we can start fresh. Obviously, I'm not going to ask for that ring back, but maybe I'll never have to._ Walking up the stairs, Chloe looked and saw that it was only just past noon as she checked her phone.

"I can actually go to sleep now, and wake up in time for an evening rendezvous. I'm totally going to fucking nail whatever Max has in store!" Chloe beamed as she went into her room and crashed onto the bed, a peacefully dreamless sleep in her immediate future.

"Chloe?" a voice called out, dragging Chloe from her unconsciousness as the blue-haired girl blearily opened her eyes to see her mom peeking out from the doorway. Squinting from the sleep still in her eyes, Chloe scratched at her hair as she groggily sat up.

"Uh, Mom? What is it?" Chloe asked, seeing Joyce walk into her room.

"Just checking in on you, Chloe. You've been asleep the entire day. Are you alright?" Joyce asked, Chloe nearly rolling her eyes at the smothering maternal nature of her mom.

"Long morning." _Don't ask me how it went, don't ask me how it went…_

"Alright. Well, Max called for you on the house phone. I guess even she couldn't wake you up with your cell phone." Joyce chuckled before she lightly patted Chloe on the shoulder and headed back into the hallway, "If you want somethin' to eat, there's some leftovers in the fridge."

"Okay. Cool." Chloe flopped back onto the bed and looked out the window before shifting her gaze to the ceiling. _I wish I had some weed to bake with, something to fucking ease up all the bullshit._ _I wonder how long it'll be before Max tries to get ahold of me again._ Pulling out her cell phone, Chloe sniggered at the trail of messages dating back to a couple hours ago. _Must've been sunset or something when she first started._ Yawning, Chloe almost dropped her phone when it vibrated in her hand. Muttering under her breath, "hella" being the only audible word, Chloe opened her phone's menu back up and saw a new text from Max.

 **Max: Want a lift?**

 **Chloe: Well I am lacking in wheels so yeah**

 **Max: Coming around the block now**

 **Chloe: wow you move fast, lady**

 **Chloe: makes a girl blush**

 **Max: dork**

 **Max: like what u c?**

Uncertain by what was meant by the last text, Chloe scratched at her hair before putting her beanie on. Snagging her jacket from the floor, Chloe examined the inside to make sure it wasn't too messy before she heard a honk outside. Not bothering to look out the window, Chloe already surmised that it was Max and came down the stairs to see a huge grin on her mom's face.

"Wow, you two really _did_ make up, didn't you?" Joyce said as she cracked open the front door.

"What the fu-," Chloe started to say, her voice catching in her throat as Joyce opened the door for Chloe to see out to the street.

Parked directly in front of the sidewalk leading up to the house was Chloe's truck, Max at the wheel with a radiant smile on her face. _Amazeballs_ was all Chloe could manage to think before getting shocked out of her head by another honk. Nearly stumbling on her own feet, Chloe hastily said "Bye" in the direction of her mom as she sped up into a run. Nearly colliding into the passenger door as she ran in a awe-struck daze, Chloe couldn't help but flash Max the most beaming grin she could ever imagine. Realizing that she was practically leering at Max, the brunette trying not to laugh at Chloe's expression, Chloe quickly opened the door and hopped into the passenger seat with Max taking off as soon as the door closed behind the blue-haired girl.

"Dude!" Chloe exclaimed, her voice an octave higher than usual, "Holy fuck, Max! You got my truck fixed!"

"This old thing?" Max said with a smirk, keeping her eyes on the road as she drove through town, "I found it sitting in the junkyard. It was such a mess inside, but I think it cleaned up okay. What do you think of _my_ wheels?" Max couldn't help herself and winked at Chloe as the eyes widened on Chloe's face.

"Nuh-uh, this is _my baby_ ," Chloe said as she poked Max in the side, "Mine. M-I-N-E."

"Says the girl in the passenger seat."

"Pull over, hippie, and we'll see who is who!"

Chloe and Max shared a grin at the moment of ease between them, both feeling comfortable as they bantered back and forth. Chloe slouched into the seat, sticking her legs out the passenger side window as she reclined. Turning her gaze to Max, Chloe couldn't help but feel a deep regret about what had happened earlier that day, even more so at the fact that Max had went and gotten the truck repaired. _Jesus, Max. Way to make a girl feel like utter shit. Still, you're fucking adorably amazeballs right now._ Chloe wanted to purr when she felt Max run her fingers through Chloe's blue hair with a free hand as she steered with the other.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Chloe asked with a melancholy tone, her face dispirited.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Max asked, an awkward laugh bubbling out, "T-This is my truck, remember?"

"Stop, Max. Just… _why_?" Chloe asked again, pulling her legs in so that she could sit and face Max while the other girl drove.

"Because I love you, Che. Because despite how screwed up we are and everything else is right now, I don't want to lose this," Max replied, her tone thoughtful as she slipped her hand over Chloe's, "We'll work things out. It's not like we don't have the time."

 _This is Max, a beautiful and deadly woman who has pretty much laid her soul on the line for you, Chloe Price. Be fucking grateful she hasn't up and left your angsty ass._ Chloe grimaced at Max's touch, looking down at the small hand resting on her own.

"How can you forgive me so easily?"

"How can you forgive _me_?"

Both girls grew quiet at their shared concern, not talking the rest of the way to the junkyard but just sitting together in the truck with their hands intertwined.

Pulling into the junkyard, Chloe slid out of the passenger door as Max shut off the truck and unbuckled her seat belt before lightly stepping out of the vehicle. Looking over to see if Max might give her the keys, Chloe could have sworn Max was reading her mind as the smaller girl dangled them in her hand with a sly wink before pocketing them in her hoodie. _Dude, what the fuck. What the actual fuck,_ Chloe thought as she groaned in defiance to Max's hold on her ride. Pausing mid-step as something occurred to her, Chloe walked back to the truck and looked in the bed.

"Where're the jugs?" Chloe asked, pointing at the truck as she walked back to join Max, "I thought we were going hunting."

"We _are_ , Che. We're good at the apartment, so this is more training for your baby smurf ass than a supply run," Max said as she directed them toward the hideout, "I just felt that we could unwind before going out tonight, that's all. No need to rush. Unless you want to head out now?"

Shaking her head at Max's inquiry, Chloe followed her into the hideout and almost dropped the unlit cigarette from her mouth. _I think I love you, Maxine Caulfield_. Chloe stared in amazement at her refurbished hideout. The walls plastered with posters and Polaroids photos, an old stereo sitting on a weathered table in the corner, and Christmas lights and paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling; Max had rebuilt her sanctuary with a touch of her own creativity. Chloe felt her lip tremble as she took in the display of absolute kindness in what Max had done, feeling completely unworthy of such empathy. Hearing the sound of bottles hitting the table, Chloe looked over to see Max opening a bottle of vodka with another bottle of clear liquor next to it.

"We're getting hammered?" Chloe asked, befuddled.

"We're getting hammered," Max replied as she slid one of the bottles over in Chloe's direction, pointing at the unoccupied seat.

"What's the cause for celebration?" Chloe sat down and opened up the proffered bottle, sniffing at the liquid before coughing. _I forgot how strong this shit is. I never liked this crap; it was more Rachel's drink of choice than mine. Ugh._

"Second chances," Max replied before tipping her bottle up and taking a long drink. Slamming the bottle down, Chloe couldn't help but smirk at the small splash Max made with her alcohol before Chloe reluctantly took a sip of her own. "Don't make me shove that bottle down your throat, Chloe Price."

"Don't enable me. I'm underage after all," Chloe said, eyeing Max as she took another sip, "You undead kids and your peer pressure. What's next?"

"Drugs. I sell hardcore drugs," Max said, attempting a Southern accent.

"…Did you just quote _The Last of Us_?"

"Damn clickers!" Max giggled and took another drink of her vodka, "You _know_ I'm the better gamer of the two of us. Always have been."

"Just because you beat _Battletoads_ when we were kids doesn't make you the fucking Einstein of gaming, Max," Chloe groaned as Max's teasing and the alcohol began to take effect. Feeling a light buzz, Chloe looked down at her bottle and back up at Max. "The bottle says vodka but I realize…I realize that it wasn't sealed. What the fuck is in this, Max?"

"Moonshine," Max replied as she looked at her own bottle, musing at the half-empty status, "Strong stuff. Like, 150-proof or something."

Chloe felt her eyes nearly bug out of her sockets as she instinctively set her bottle down like she was afraid it might explode. _Whoa_ , Chloe thought as she felt a strong buzz kick in, _Is this how Max_ really _gets drunk? Shitballs, how…how much do I not know?_

"What the hell else haven't you told me, Max?" Chloe uttered with a faint slurring of her words as she leaned across the table to poke Max in the arm. "You turn out to be a goddamn vampire, then you…then you…ugh, this shit is _strong_ …"

"Che, I think I'm drinking you under the table," Max said with a grin as she finished off her bottle and leaned back into her seat, "There's a lot I haven't told you, but I don't want to drop it all on you at once. We're not on borrowed time, so we can just relax and take this slow. Okay?"

"'mmkay," Chloe said as she laid down in her seat, the old car seat's springs squeaking slightly as she tried to get comfortable, "How's this? Hiiiiii."

"Hi Chloe."

"I'm Price. Chloe Price. Bang!" Chloe said, a goofy smile on her face as she made one of her hands into an imaginary gun and pointed it at Max, complete with a "Pow!" noise.

"I'm Max." Max giggled at how silly Chloe was being as the other girl nearly toppled over from getting out of her seat too quickly. Max watched with stifled laughter as Chloe went over to the stereo and began going through the small stack of CDs.

"Got anything good? Something I can dance to, oh Girl-With-One-Name?" Chloe asked, a drunken smile plastered on her face.

"You get shitfaced _way_ too easily," Max said with a smirk as she shook her head. Standing up, Max walked over to where Chloe was situated and browsed the collection before putting in a burned CD and playing the first track.

Chloe nodded with the beat as it started to play, looking over at Max with an impish smile. She knew this song, had heard it a couple times before on the radio. As Wolf Alice's "Storms" played on the speakers, Chloe felt her body begin to twist and writhe as she started to dance, Max leaning against the wall with a smile on her face as she folded her arms across her chest. Breaking into full-on dance mode, Chloe began to spin and swing her arms in swirling patterns as she felt the song inside of her, moving her and guiding her.

Looking over at Max as she danced, Chloe made her way to the humored brunette and offered a hand. Looking bashful for a moment, Max bit her lip before taking the blue-nailed hand and joined Chloe as her other hand was taken as well. Spinning and twirling, the two girls let their minds and weariness escape in an alcohol-fueled moment of enthrallment, their eyes locked on each other as they spun around Chloe's sanctuary with music playing in the background.

Chloe felt her lips smack into Max's before the thought crossed her mind, but she didn't care either way. Her tongue burning from the alcohol, Chloe pried Max's mouth open with her tongue before biting on the other girl's lip playfully. Teasing Max by licking at the brunette's lips as she pulled back, Chloe let out a cry of surprise as Max shoved her against the wall with enough force to shake the paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Chloe felt her entire body quake from the sensation of Max slipping the tip of her tongue into Chloe's ear before nibbling on the earlobe. Giggling, Chloe let out a whimper as she shouted "Ticklish! Tickle-fucking-ish!" and giggled again when Max responded by running the tip of a finger along Chloe's other ear before turning the blue-haired girl's head over to plant a wet kiss on her lips.

Feeling a rush of something from within her, Chloe pushed at Max hard enough that the girl flew up a foot or two before landing on the makeshift table. The alcohol bottles scattered as Max's weight slammed into the wood with a creak before Chloe was straddling Max as she shoved her tongue down the brunette girl's throat. Max now giggling between passionate kisses, she locked her legs around Chloe's waist and pinned the other girl against her as she came at Chloe's mouth with her own tongue, a playful contest between the two girls as to who could kiss better. Neither girl noticed the music stopping as the CD went through all of its tracks, their minds occupied something else.

"Wow," Chloe said as she pulled a strap of her tank-top back onto her shoulder, "That was…that was hella fucking incredible. You make out like a fiend, Max Caulfield. Uh, can I have my beanie back?"

Lying on the ground in the sanctuary next to Chloe, Max pulled the beanie tighter onto her head, sniffing at the aroma of hair dye for a moment before reluctantly taking it off. Holding it up in the air with her arm, Max waved it around for a bit as Chloe tried not to laugh at the other girl's obstinance.

"Dude, you serious?" Chloe said as she leaned up and snatched at the hat, pulling it down as Max stuck her tongue out at Chloe, "That wasn't even a challenge, you tiny-ass nerd."

"Can we just stay like this?" Chloe heard Max ask in a faraway voice, "Can we just shut everything out and hide from the world?"

"I don't think this is the most solitary of places, Max," Chloe chided in jest, "I mean, someone _will_ eventually come to the junkyard to either drop off their crap or look through the crap already here. I wish we could, though."

Seeing Max slowly sit up, Chloe followed suit before Max pushed her chest down with a small hand. Chloe couldn't stop herself from grinning as Max straddled her and just watched Chloe with a sly grin.

"We're really fucked up," Max said, as if explaining something Chloe didn't know, "It's a good thing we can be fucked up together."

"I don't know about that, Max. Kate _did_ confess her love to me yesterday…" Chloe teased before seeing the look of shock on Max's face. "Dude, I was kidding. I mean, she did joke but it wasn't for real. Besides, I'm spoken for."

Sliding her hands into Max's, Chloe kissed Max's ring finger before playfully kicking her legs in a feigned attempt to get up. Giggling, Max sat there for a minute longer before sliding off Chloe's lap and helping the blue-haired girl up. _You're too goddamn nice to me, Max. Way too fucking nice. Even when you're fucking bat-shit you protect me._

"I wonder if that's why she called me," Max said, brow furrowed in thought.

"Kate called you about that?" Chloe asked as she pulled at her beanie.

"Not _that_. She wants to get together with us tomorrow at the apartment. Sounded important," Max added with a shrug.

"Ooh, the 'Book of Kate's Revelations'!"

"Really, Che? Really? You're worse with puns than I am, and I'm pretty punny," Max rolled her eyes as she went to one of the windows and took in the night air. Chloe stayed where she was, balling up her tank top as she tried to muster some courage. _Maybe I should have drank more._

"Max?" Chloe asked, her voice practically a whisper.

"Yeah?" Max replied as she out one of the windows, not seeing the serious look on Chloe's face.

"…I'm sorry."

Chloe watched Max turn around, puzzlement turning to a crestfallen expression as the brunette saw Chloe's heartbreakingly somber expression. Leaning against the glassless window, Max sighed as she met Chloe's pained expression with one of her own.

"We're both sorry, Che. About a _lot_ of things."

"But do you accept my being sorry?" Chloe asked, fidgeting nervously with her hands as she lowered her head.

"I accept it, Chloe, but I just wish things hadn't come to that far of a point. Let's go hunt and we'll talk about it, okay?" Max said as she took Chloe's hand and led them both out into the junkyard.

"I think we should talk about it now," Chloe insisted, letting go of Max's hand as she opted to walk alongside the other girl rather than with Max.

"…That rage…it couldn't have just been because of me," Max said reluctantly, "I know that emotions get really hyped up when you're…what we are, but that was intense, Che. I was terrified."

"I know, Max, and I'm sorry. I just…it was like _years_ of something inside me just broke whatever was restraining it. I never thought it would lead to me hitting anybody, though. Especially not you." Chloe hung her head as she felt ashamed for what had transpired, feeling Max softly take hold of her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, too. Sorry for freaking you out so bad at the lighthouse. I mean, I accept what I am, but you were totally unprepared." Max hooked a finger under Chloe's chin and lifted her head up.

"You _had_ a reason, though. Your blue-haired asshat of a fiancé got herself into trouble again. SuperMax saves the day. Again. I had no reason behind what I did, though. I lashed out at you when I really just wanted to beat myself up."

"Have you ever thought about-?"

"Getting help? Mom sent me to a shrink a few years back, when shit got really bad. I was in a bad way, and she knew I needed something or I might try to hurt myself again," Chloe said as she absently rubbed at her wrists, not noticing she was walking by herself. Snapping out of her thoughts, Chloe looked next to herself, then back at Max. The brunette was standing by herself, wiping at her face. "C'mon, Max. Don't be like that. It wasn't like I really _tried_. I took one of my mom's shavers and just nicked at my wrists. See? No scars. I was too fucking scared-"

"But you thought about it," Max whispered almost to herself, "I almost lost you before I could even find you again."

"Hey. Max, I am right here," Chloe said as she put her hands on Max's shoulders and looked the other girl in the eye, "I'm _never_ leaving you. Ugh, this is what happens when I open my damn mouth…"

Chloe made to start walking again when she felt a hand tug at the back of her jacket. Turning her head, Chloe saw Max trembling as she hung her head while keeping a solid grip on Chloe. Grimacing at the feeling of pain that came off of Max, Chloe slipped out of her jacket as Max still clutched to it and wrapped Max in her arms.

"I'm never leaving you. Not ever." Chloe felt Max sigh after a moment before feeling her fiancé's small arms wrap around her.

"I think we should both start seeing a therapist," Max said with a muffled voice.

"Or…we could just talk about our feelings? Be more honest?" Chloe offered in reply.

"That, _obviously_ , but I think we may both need something more, Che. Otherwise, we could end up just doing all this over and over. Get together, hurt each other, get awkward, and get back together. I'd prefer to skip the middle two," Max said as she lifted her head up so that she was looking at Chloe's pensive face.

"I don't think we'll always be able to skip them, Max. We've both been through shit that's hella scarred us. How about we take each situation as it fucking comes? That cool, at least for now?" Chloe watched Max ponder her words for a moment before she looked up at Chloe with misty eyes.

"Hella cool."

The woods provided an escape for the two girls as they ran among the trees. Chloe beginning to acclimate to her new life, she began to realize that she couldn't tire as easily as she ran next to Max. Wiping the blood from her chin, Chloe smirked as she licked it off of her finger and winked at a bemused Max as they picked up their speed, Max cat-calling her fiancé teasingly as she ran ahead a little faster than Chloe.

"Goddamnit, Max! Give me a fucking break!" Chloe said as she willed feet to move a little faster.

They had hunted some deer first, Max wanting to start the evening slow. Following the herd along from a distance that didn't alert the animals, Max began to instruct Chloe on the basics of tracking. Reveling in the eagerness of her new charge, Max explained to Chloe how monitoring her environment would be more beneficial than she realized. Using examples from the herd's movement, Max had carefully pointed out the freshness of the muddy tracks versus the drier surface where the deer hadn't kicked up the soil. Chloe watched Max with rapt attention as her fiancé had pointed out broken branches and bent grass, showed how the direction of some of the grass gave away the movements of the herd in a general direction that they could pursue.

 _Damn. Girl's got some hella game_ , Chloe thought as they had come closer to the herd. The group of deer gathered together along the treeline of a small clearing. Chloe wiggled with excitement as she prepared to pounce on the first deer that came close enough with her when she felt Max put a hand on her arm. Seeing a mischievous grin flash across Max's face, Chloe couldn't help but return it.

 _What?_ Chloe had mouthed, getting a _Trust me?_ In return from a silent Max. Rolling her eyes and nodding, Chloe had watched Max put a finger to her lips before turning around and gesturing for Chloe to hop onto her back. _A Max-powered piggyback ride? I'm down for that-, WHOA WHAT THE FUUUUUUUCK!?_ Chloe nearly screamed out, the second she had wrapped her arms across Max's shoulders the smaller girl had leapt up into the trees. Jumping from branch to branch until they were a good height above the herd.

Gingerly setting Chloe down on a sturdy branch, Max darted across to land on a branch almost level with Chloe's from a tree opposite the blue-haired girl's position. Covering her mouth to keep herself from laughing, Max got a scowl from Chloe in return as she clutched at the tree trunk for a few moments before she felt comfortable enough to just brace herself against it.

 _Goddamnit, Max!_ Chloe mouthed at the shaking girl, sticking her tongue out as Max stifled laugh after laugh. _It's not fucking funny!_ Chloe was about to speak up when she saw Max's eyes go violet and her small fangs pop out. Concentrating for a moment, Chloe felt a slight pain as her fangs came out. Poking at one of the sharp teeth with her tongue, Chloe wondered why Max had needed to be hit when she had revealed her nature to Chloe months ago. Remembering Max brining out her fangs by teasing the shit out of her, Chloe slumped her shoulders at how easy Max made everything. _Well, all of this crap._ Looking up, Chloe saw Max trying to catch her attention and waved her free hand at the brunette in return.

Chloe had seen Max drop from a height before, but there was something different about it being so close. Seeing the liberated expression on Max's face as she almost seemed to float for a moment when she stepped off the branch, Chloe could have sworn that Max winked at her before descending. Squeezing her own eyes shut, Chloe bit her lip to stop herself from screaming as she stepped off her own branch a second later.

Presently, Chloe grinned at the memory of landing on one of the deer so softly she had barely felt it. Running on a full stomach, Chloe and Max had gorged themselves before running in search of larger prey. Chloe looked ahead to see Max slowly inching away and tried to pick up speed. Failing, she shouted after Max for her to slow down.

"I can't go that fast yet," Chloe said as she caught up to the stopped Max, the other girl's face grinning widely from the exhilaration, "Dude, you've got to help me out here."

"I _told_ you last time we went out, concentrate and move your body like it is a single muscle. Push with everything you have, focus on yourself as one solid being and fly forward," Max said, shaking her head as she chuckled at Chloe's inability to catch up to her. "We'll try right here."

Moving back a few steps to stand next to a tree, Max sprinted forward and appeared a moment later in front of another tree about 50 yards away. Egging Chloe on with her tongue stuck out, Max called after her and started to goof off next to the tree.

"Are you doing the chicken dance?" Chloe called out at Max.

"I'm doing the _Chloe_ _dance_!" Max shouted back, busting up laughing.

"It's on, pint-size!" Chloe said as she bared her fangs at Max playfully.

"You have to actually get close to me in order for _anything_ to be on, Chloe!"

Crouching down into the runner's position she had seen Max use before blasting off, Chloe tensed her whole body before shooting off. She didn't even realize she had done it at first, thinking she had tripped as she tumbled onto the forest floor. Embarrassed at having landed face-first, it took a moment for her to realize that Max was cheering her on and not being a smart-ass.

"That was awesome, Che! Try again, you made it halfway!"

Lifting herself off of the ground, Chloe looked up and realized that Max was a great deal closer than she had previously been. _Holy shit, I did it. I fucking did it! Hella yes!_ Repeating what she had done seconds before, Chloe shot out again and felt giddy as the forest seemed to speed up around her. Not paying attention, Chloe let out a loud _Oof!_ as she felt Max scoop her up and the forest came back into greater focus.

"What was that about? I was totally doing it!" Chloe argued petulantly as she wiggled out of Max's arms.

"You were running head-first towards a tree, Che. The only thing you were doing was setting yourself up for some pain and an _uber_ epic fail," Max said chidingly, a smirk on her face.

Chloe mumbled about shit being unfair before she looked over to see Max beaming at her. Max's smiling catching, Chloe scooped up Max and spun her around in celebration at _finally_ being able to pull of sprinting.

"Hella _yes_!" Chloe crowed as she set Max down and put her hands on the other girl's cheek to give the brunette a kiss. Feeling the kiss returned in kind with one of Max's own, Chloe let herself forget about the past five years for a moment, pushing the memories even further back into the recesses of her mind than where they already were. "What next, Maxaroni?" Chloe asked excitedly, a giddiness creeping up her entire body. "What next?"

"Well," Max teased, putting a finger to her chin as she pretended to be lost in thought, "Maybe we should just call it a night…"

"Noooooo! Boo hiss boo, motherfucker!" Chloe said as she spun around, "I feel so fucking wired right now! You were kidding, right? Tell me you were totally kidding!"

"I _was_ totally kidding," Max confessed, breaking into a fit of laughter as Chloe fist-pumped in reply, "Oh my Dog, Chloe! You _are_ such…a freaking… _dork_. Capital D-O-R-K."

"Shaddup!" Chloe retorted, still grinning, "So? Tell me, tell me, _tell me_!"

"You _did_ say that you wanted to punch a bear…," Max said before getting startled at Chloe's elated cry of "AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Looking up in the trees to see Max watching her, Chloe's elation turned to anxiety as she realized that Max was leaving her to fend for herself with this hunt. _It's not as fun when you have to do all this bullshit,_ Chloe grumbled. _Why can't we go straight to bear-punching? Ughhhhh._ Chloe sighed to herself and felt a twig smack her in the head. Looking up to see Max stifling a giggle, Chloe shot her a look with narrowed violet eyes and gave Max the double-bird before starting her attempt at tracking.

A mixed bag at best, Chloe's initial attempt was met with a few more twigs lobbed at her head, an echoed giggle emanating from somewhere above her each time. While Chloe had seen Max the first time, Chloe quickly realized that Max was making a game of the entire thing. _C'mon, stupid fucking bear! Just…just pop up and be all "Hey, I'm a fucking bear!"_ Grunting in frustration, Chloe swatted at her head as another twig smacked into her. _Fucking bear, fucking Max!_ Forcing herself to not make any noises, Chloe bent all her concentration into the tracking and began to notice things with increasing clarity. Broken twig? Check. Kicked-up dirt? Check.

The smell was what caught Chloe's attention, though, the smell of dank fur and the pungent aroma of something being unwashed. Crinkling her nose as the scent wafted across her face, Chloe half-expected another twig to come flying but heard the sound of two small feet gently touching down right behind her. Feeling Max's hand on her shoulder, Chloe looked back to see Max pointing directly ahead; following what Max was directing her toward, Chloe couldn't help but gasp in astonishment at the sight of a large bear some distance ahead.

"Good job, baby," Max purred into Chloe's ear, kissing the grinning Chloe on the cheek, "That's my Che. Only took you, like, a dozen tries."

"Still got it, though," Chloe retorted with a pout, seeing Max nod with an amused look on her face.

"Yes, you still got it. Now, let's see what you _do_ with it."

"What does…Max? Max, where did you go? Max?" Chloe whispered as she turned her head back and forth to look for her mischievous little fiancé. Hearing a giggle from up ahead, Chloe's eyes widened as Max sprinted toward the bear. _Is she challenging me, daring moi?_ Chloe asked herself before watching what Max was up to, realization dawning on her. _Oh. Oh fuck._

Chloe watched Max slow herself from a sprint to a fast run as Max threw her small weight into the side of the bear, the animal growling at being disturbed. Standing on its hind legs, the bear let out a vicious growl only to be knocked on its back as a giggling Max kicked it in the stomach with enough force to send it momentarily reeling. _Oh no. Oh nonononono_ , Chloe thought as Max began running in her direction, the bear getting to its feet and following the intruder.

"Max, what the fuck were you…wait! _Where the fuck are you going?!_ " Chloe yelled as Max ran up to her and slapped her on the back as she ran past Chloe in the direction they had came.

"Tag!" Chloe heard Max yell back as she laughed.

" _What the fuck?_ " Chloe asked, mortified as the bear began to approach. Crouching, Chloe leapt at the bear and connected her foot with its face. The bear's head tilting from the impact, Chloe fell forward and rolled before regaining her footing. The bear, momentarily dazed, turned around to assess its new target and stood on its hind legs again as it let out another roar. Hooking her fingers into claws, Chloe let out a growl of her own as she bared her teeth. _Heh, I 'bared' my teeth at a bear. I_ am _worse with puns than Max is. Ugh._

"Bring it, Yogi!" Chloe shouted as she sprang forward, sprinting directly into the bear and knocking the still-standing animal onto its back for what was the beast's second time. Backpedaling a bit, Chloe felt a little cocky as she noticed the bear not getting up so slowly. Looking around quickly, Chloe thought for a moment that Max had ditched her before she felt a twig smack her across the face.

"Brat!"

"Dork!"

"I'm pretty sure I fucking adore the shit out of you right now, Max Caulfield!"

"Good thing, too! You _did_ ask me to marry you!" Max shouted from up in the trees, "Now pay fucking attention to what you're doing!"

Running at the bear, Chloe leapt up as the animal dazedly swung its head toward her. Pulling her arm back, Chloe applied what Max had said about sprinting to her fist and felt a wet crunch as she connected with the bear's head. The bear almost immediately fell to the ground, a single breath escaping from its snout before it died. Looking around with an elated smile on her face, Chloe raised her hands in the air as she cried out.

"Nice! Very action hero!" Chloe heard Max say as she landed on the opposite side of the bear.

"You're sexy when you're bossy," Chloe said with her face still beaming, "Also… _Chloe 1, Bears 0_! Now what?"

"Uh, now you eat it." Max said, her grin turning incredulous, "I think all that energy is seeping away what brainpower you have left after smoking so much pot."

"Hey! Studies show that there aren't as many negative side effects to marijuana use as the layperson might think," Chloe chided before kneeling next to the animal, "Wow. Still stinks like fucking crazy."

"Shut up and eat your food."

"Join me for a midnight snack,Ms. Caulfield?" Chloe said, gesturing to the bear with a wink.

Watching Max roll her eyes before taking a place across from Chloe, the two girls bit into opposite sides of the large animal's neck as they looked into each other's eyes.

Having wrapped up their play, Max had tossed the keys to Chloe when they made it back to the junkyard. Opting to walk all the way back, Chloe had made the first move and slipped her hand into Max's. Feeling relief as the smaller girl followed up the gesture by kissing Chloe on the cheek, Chloe couldn't help but smile the entire way back to the vehicle. Chloe had almost refused to let Max's hand go when they got to the truck, she was so adamant to not let the smaller girl slip away. _I don't want to go back to how things were before we got here. Fuck, I wish I could rewind and tell myself to hella chill!_

Arriving at the apartment, Chloe looked at Max for a second before deciding to leave the truck running. Walking Max up the steps, she couldn't help but feel disappointed as Max looked back at her sheepishly.

"So…" Chloe started, scratching her beanie as she felt the slight awkwardness between them return.

"Yep," Max quickly shot back, fidgeting with her fingers, "How'd you like our first _real_ date?"

" _That_ is what that was?" Chloe felt a little surprised at Max's question. "Wait. That _was_ a date?"

"Uh-huh." Max said, looking away in embarrassment. "I thought you had fun-"

"No no no, it was totally amazeballs. Max, it was really fun…and educational…and more than a little sexy…" Chloe smiled as Max wormed herself into a hug, wishing her heart was still beating so she could feel it skip as Max nuzzled her nose into Chloe's chest.

"Good. That, Chloe Price, was the first step."

"First step of what? My Jedi training?"

"No, SuperDork!" Max said as she pulled back to playfully smack Chloe on the shoulder, "You're so completely dense sometimes, Che, I totally swear. _Us,_ Chloe. Tonight was the first step on you and I finding a good place with each other, a place where we really know the other person. When I came back, I was ashamed of what I was and could only let you part in…"

"…And I was all fucked up from the past five years and diving in head-first…"

"Exactly. We've both come to the same point, together, and now we have an opportunity to really _be_ together. We already swore forever; now, we start forever together."

Chloe nearly whimpered before Max stood on her tip-toes and kissed her softly on the lips. While the contact of their lips was decidedly shorter than previous kisses from earlier in the evening, Chloe knew that this one was important. _One, we're both sober at this point. Two, this one will be followed by another tomorrow…and the next day…and forever…_

Unlocking the door, Max stepped halfway inside before looking out at Chloe, the blue-haired girl framed in the moonlight. Chloe watched Max visibly deflate at the idea of them being apart, a feeling she shared, and reached over to caress Max's cheek.

"See you tomorrow?" Chloe asked.

"Breakfast with Kate at Two Whales? I'll text you the time, she's probably still up."

"Sounds like a plan, Max."

"…Maxaroni…"

"Hmm?"

"I like it when you call me 'Maxaroni', Che."

Chloe thought her heart would have melted as she leaned in to give Max a final kiss for the evening, telling the brunette "Good night, _Maxaroni_ " as she headed down the steps to her truck. While both girls had felt happy since being reunited, tonight was different. Tonight, there was happiness and an optimism neither Max nor Chloe had felt in years.

 **Author's Note – Apart, but together. It's a conundrum, they're a conundrum, and everything is fucking gay.**

 **LOL**

 **Patching things up, both girls are looking ahead now that they find a common ground together. I wanted to have them acknowledge how fucked up their situations are, both separate and together, so that they can try a fresh start with each other. While I would** _ **like**_ **to say that this was planned, it was more of something that came to fruition after Chloe had moved in with Max. I wanted the relationship to develop and change in as realistic a way as I could fashion while mired in the supernatural. Y'know, because '** _ **duh, fucking vampires'**_ **, as Chloe might say.**

 **So many people told me of their sad cries last chapter, so I hope this brought some smiles and happy cries. I look after my lesbian vampire babies, cinnamon rolls!**

 **Read, review, and I will see you for 22!**

 **Stay hella!**

 **PS – yes, I know I rhymed before my signing off. Shushhhhhhhhhh.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Closer, from the song by Nine Inch Nails.**

 **Warning – this chapter is NSFW due to a love scene. Read at your own discretion.**

Chloe laid down in bed, rolling back and forth in a half-asleep haze as memories from only hours ago ran through her head over and over. Part-dream and part-remembrance, Chloe found herself crying out in joy as she flew through the trees on Max's back.

 _A carefree smile on her fiancé's back, Chloe watched as Max headed toward a tree branch. Chloe begging Max not to stop, Max giggled before landing on the branch for a split-second and leaping straight up into the air. Screaming and laughing, Chloe clutched onto the little brunette even tighter as Max kept leaping straight up as she would rise only to fall back just enough to land on another branch. With one final "C'mon, Maxaroni! Go!" from Chloe and a leap from the highest branch Chloe had ever seen up close, Max shot up like a bullet through the forest canopy and they were bathed in the moonlight of a clear night sky._

 _Chloe felt a moment of terror turn into delight as Max detached Chloe's hands from her shoulders and spun around so that she was holding Chloe's hands and looking into her eyes as both girls floated for a moment. Tugging on Chloe's outstretched arms, they pulled into each other and kissed with the moon as their backdrop before Max pulled away. Shooting Chloe as sly grin, the blue-haired girl's eyes widened as Max pulled the other girl onto her back for their descent._

 _"Hope you're not too full, Che!" Max shouted over the roaring of the wind as they began to plummet, Max holding onto Chloe's legs as Chloe squeezed her arms even tighter around Max's shoulders. Both girls screaming, Max let out a whooping laugh as she flipped in mid-air and landed on a branch to Chloe's utter delight only meters away from the forest floor. Laughing almost uncontrollably as Max set her down, Chloe braced herself against a tree trunk due to the dizziness of their downward velocity and Max's gymnastics._

 _"Oh my God! Max! Max, that was so hella-" Chloe started to say before she felt Max's lips on her own as the brunette girl bounced onto her tip-toes and kissed the blue-haired girl. Feeling weightless, Chloe wrapped her arms around Max and her eyes went wide as Max stepped off the branch with Chloe still in her arms. Kissing and falling, Chloe wished that the night would never end and that her and Max would never end. Pulling back, Chloe smiled before opening her eyes and nearly crying in horror. Blood dripping from Max's chin, her face beaten and skin split open, Max looked at her with a curious expression as she casually asked "What's wrong?"_

" _Fuck!_ " Chloe screamed as she shot out of bed, sitting up with such force that she nearly flew onto the floor. Her eyes frantic and darting for a moment, Chloe took a moment to reconcile where she actually was with the dream she had just awoken from. Putting a hand to her chest as she panted, Chloe half-expected her heart to kick-start back up as she sighed and fell back into bed. _Holy shit. That was…that was a lame-as-fuck ending to such an incredible dream. Hella wowsers._

"Ugh, now Max has _me_ thinking that!" Chloe said as she pulled a pillow over her face and screamed into it, her anxiety and energy making her feel like she had ants crawling under her skin. _The end was fucked up, but everything else was…it was beautiful._

"Chloe? You alright?" Joyce asked as she knocked on her daughter's door, "Hey! Chloe?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Chloe said as she pulled her beanie on and took a cigarette out of her jacket pocket, having bought some last night after dropping Max off, "Shitty end to a dream, that's all. Go about your bidness, nothing to see here."

Hearing an "uh-huh" coming from the other side of the door, Chloe rolled her eyes and lit the cigarette. She knew that _a_ cigarette didn't do anything for her physically now that she was a vampire, but it had a calming effect that Chloe needed. Inhaling almost half the cigarette in a single go, Chloe held onto the smoke before letting out one smoke ring and blowing the remaining smoke through said ring like she was firing an arrow into a bullseye. _Dead-on, 10 points!_ Chloe said with a sly grin as she sat up and put the stub out in her ashtray. Reaching over to her jacket again, Chloe grabbed her phone and opened the menu. _Ugh, 6:45am? This is so fucking lame, dude! What happened to 'creatures of the night' and all that clichéd shit?!_ Chloe felt a string of curses land on the tip of her tongue before her eyes brightened at the chat balloon that popped up on her screen.

 **Max: 1 hour, 2 whales, 4 people**

 **Chloe: morning to u 2, nerd**

 **Max: lol I miss u in my bed**

 **Chloe: OUR bed, and I miss it 2**

 **Chloe: I could have stayed, u kno**

 **Max: baby steps, Che, despite that I pretty much want to just dominate you**

 **Chloe: whoa O_o**

 **Max: Did you just EMOJI me? Wowsers, I'm rubbing off on u**

 **Chloe: shaddup!**

 **Chloe: wat's this 4 ppl? Kate bringing someone?**

 **Max: yep. Her mystery crush, maybe?**

 **Chloe: dude we're fucking terrible, acting like 12 y/o about our friend's crush. Hella lame.**

 **Max: …and yet…**

 **Chloe: yea yea, I wanna kno 2**

 **Max: come by and pick me up? I have some of ur clothes packed since you're going to be staying at ur mom's**

 **Chloe: oh. Uh, ok.**

 **Max: chill, Che. Taking things slow doesn't mean that I don't luuuuuuuv u. btw, I totally kno u luuuuuuuv me 2 lol**

 **Chloe: ughhhhhh c u in 1 hour nerd**

Chloe ended the chat and tossed the phone next to her as she got up and put on the only clean pair of jeans she had left, yanking a Quiet Riot t-shirt out of her dresser. Pulling the shirt over her head as she walked from her bedroom to the bathroom, Chloe saw her mom quirk an eyebrow at her as she walked through the hallway while only having an arm in her shirt. Quirking an eyebrow back at Joyce in response, Chloe couldn't help but laugh as she saw her mom's exasperated response. Closing and locking the bathroom door behind her, Chloe brushed her teeth and untangled her blue hair, examining her roots to ensure that none of her natural blonde was creeping its way back out. Satisfied, Chloe looked at the shower and shrugged before stripping back down and hopping into the small stall.

Rubbing hot soapy water on her face first, Chloe felt revitalized not only in body but also in her heart. She couldn't stop thinking about last night, how amazing everything had been. _She fixed my truck, fixed up_ our _hideaway, and spent almost the entire evening acting all cute and playful as she showed me what being a vampire for her means. Well,_ some _of what it means. Still, she's fucking exhilarating, that Max Caulfield is. Little fanged fury…with twigs._ Chloe smirked a bit at the memory of Max pelting her with twigs every time she had messed up or audibly complained. It had been irritating at first, but Chloe now thought that it was incredibly cute.

Chloe thought that damn-near _everything_ about Max was cute. _Hella cute_ , Chloe thought at the image of Max illuminating Chloe with a bright smile as Chloe celebrated her punching a bear. _Agh, that was totally fucking epic!_ Quickly wrapping up her morning hygiene, Chloe dried herself off hastily and re-dressed. Heading back into her room, Chloe slipped on her jacket, beanie, and boots before snatching her phone off the bed. Max's single text ofinviting Chloe to come over a little early if she wanted made Chloe's nose crinkle as the blue-haired girl became excited at the prospect of some precious time with her Maxaroni.

"Mom!" Chloe shouted as she descended the stairs, "I'm heading to the apartment! You going to be at Two Whales today?"

"Not this morning, Chlo. I've got the dinner shift tonight," Joyce said as she peeked her head out of the kitchen and warmly smiled at Chloe, "Chloe, you smile any bigger and your face might actually learn to do so more easily."

"Ughhh." Chloe rolled her eyes at Joyce's teasing before waving as she headed out the door.

Hopping into the truck, Chloe brought the vehicle to life as she sped down the street. Tires squealing, Chloe felt a rush of energy in her system from getting to spend quality time with Max last night. She wondered if the pint-sized girl had anything in store for her this evening and snickered at the idea of a repeat of last night's festivities. _Awww yeahhhhh_ , Chloe thought, the notion of her tossing twigs at Max's head as they switched roles from the bear hunt eliciting a giggle from the blue-haired punk. _Dark Vengeance!_

Pulling the truck into the parking lot across the street, Chloe had barely gotten out of her truck when she felt something smack her beanie. Looking down, Chloe picked up a penny and looked around for second before hearing a faint giggle. Her head snapping up, Chloe's eyes narrowed as she saw a pair of violet eyes peeking out from one of the apartment's windows. The window cracked open, Chloe watched as the small violet points blinked at her and could've sworn she feel Max grinning at her despite not being able to see it.

"You're so fucking mean to me, Max! Quit throwing shit at me!" Chloe shouted across the street, dodging another penny before the window was quickly shut. _You are_ so _fucking dead, bat-brat!_ Running across the street, Chloe nearly broke into a sprint before suddenly stopping. _Wait. My default is super-speed? So I need to clamp this shit down and force myself to be_ slow _? Wow, no wonder Max enjoys hunting so much. Lady gets to cut loose._ Purposefully walking down the alleyway and up the steps to the apartment entrance, Chloe's hand almost made it to the doorknob before the door swung open and Chloe was pulled inside.

"Whoa, Max! What the-?" Chloe cried out in surprise before she felt a moan escape her lips as Max proceeded to pin the blue-haired girl against the wall and nibble on Chloe's neck. _Oh fuck yes! Ohhhh fuuuuuck!_ Chloe lips parted, hungry for Max's, and she yanked her arms out of Max's hold only to slam the brunette against the opposite wall. Both girls grinning, Chloe and Max's lips met halfway and they kissed with a greediness that neither had really expressed before. Feeling Max wiggle one wrist out of Chloe's clutches, Chloe leaned down as Max pulled at Chloe by the collar of her jacket. Pressing her lips into Max's one more time, Chloe pulled back and panted as she put a hand to her lips. Feeling the moisture on her own lips, Chloe cupped Max's cheek and gave her a softer kiss before letting go of the other girl's wrist.

"Uh, good morning to you too," Chloe said wryly with a grin on her face as she leaned her forehead onto Max's, "Wow."

"I wasn't kidding when I said I missed you, Che," Max said as she took Chloe by the hand and led her into the apartment. Walking toward the couch, Max and Chloe laughed when they had to make a detour into the kitchen to appease their growling stomachs. "How did you sleep?"

"Amazeballs dream, though a creepy ending. Woke up and scared the shit out of Joyce," Chloe said as she took an already-filled cup from Max and began to slurp away at the straw. _It still tastes gross, but I_ am _only days old._ "You?"

"Che, I haven't been able to sleep," Max said with a short laugh as she gestured with her cup-filled hand to a pile of instant photos on the coffee table, before taking Chloe's free hand in her own. "Come see what I did after you dropped me off!"

Pulling Chloe to the couch, Max sat the both of them down and spread out the pictures from her old Polaroid camera so that Chloe could get a better look at the individual shots. Scanning her eyes across the stills, Chloe's eyes widened at the images of the forest illuminated by the camera's small flash. Shots from the forest floor, the trees, and even a few shots from up in the canopy; Max had dozens of pictures from where they had been just hours ago. Chewing the straw of her Styrofoam cup, Max watched with eager anticipation for Chloe to finish perusing Max's latest project.

"Is this…is this for a job or anything?" Chloe asked Max, her tone wondrous as she almost felt herself transported back to the woods through Max's photos.

"It was more of a…passion project, I guess…?" Max replied, still awaiting Chloe's response, " _So_? What do you think?"

"This is hella cool, Max. Seriously, you have got to be the best photographer I know," Chloe said as she leaned over to give Max a kiss on the cheek.

"Che, I'm the _only_ photographer you know," Max said with a smirk.

"That you know of."

"You're cheating on me with another photog! I think we need to talk about this…"

"Max? Can I have one of these?" Chloe asked, deflecting Max's rebuttal to her joke as she eyed one photo in particular. "Can I?"

"Sure!" Max replied with visible giddiness, "Which one do you want?"

Chloe snapped the picture up with her hand and showed it to Max, looking away in mild embarrassment as Max smiled at her with a mirthful expression. Taken with the forest canopy lining the top of the frame, Max had photographed a blue-winged butterfly as it sat on a branch within arm's reach of her person. The wings seeming to glow in the shaft of moonlight that pierced the trees, there was a fantastical quality to the entire scene within the small photo.

"You're so adorable sometimes," Max said with a wide smile as Chloe quickly slid the picture into a jacket pocket and headed to the kitchen to refill her cup, "Nice high road, Che. You can walk away, but your cuteness remains!"

"Hush, you!" Chloe fired back, deigning to not satisfy Max by looking back in her direction, "I'm not going to fall for your teasing _every_ time, y'know."

Closing the freezer as she sipped at Max's concoction, Chloe opened the fridge out of curiosity and nearly spit out her drink at what she saw. Nestled alongside Max's metal sports bottle was a garishly pink sippy cup with _Chlo Chlo_ written in marker on one side. Her hand shaking, Chloe reached in and took the cup out before turning around to face Max.

"What…the _fuck_ …is _this_?" Chloe asked as she lofted the baby cup for Max to see, not feeling any better about herself as Max busted up laughing, " _'Chlo Chlo'_? Really, Max? Fucking really?"

"But you're my baby…," Max replied, catching Chloe off-guard with puppy eyes and a pout, "You're my widdle Chlo Chlo, only days old."

"I take back what I said last night," Chloe said, face and voice deadpan as she gingerly set the pink nightmare of a cup on the kitchen counter.

"Hmm?" Max smiled innocently.

"I fucking hate you, Max Caulfield," Chloe said before slamming a fist onto the sippy cup, a look of momentary shock on her face as the cup went off like a paintball grenade and spattered herself and the counter with bloody dots. Setting her Styrofoam cup down slowly, Chloe looked down at her bloody shirt, then the bloody countertop, and finally at a lip-biting, laughter-stifling Max Caulfield. "Don't you _dare_ fucking laugh, Maxine Caulfield."

"Chloe!" Max said in a hurt tone, putting a hand to her chest with a wounded look on her face at the use of her full first name, "Chloe, no! Bad Chloe!"

Yanking off her Quiet Riot shirt and pointedly dropping it in the trash, Chloe flipped Max off before heading into the bedroom. Going through one of her drawers, Chloe found a black white tank-top with a deer skull on it and pulled the top out. Checking herself to ensure there wasn't any blood still on her, Chloe pulled the tank-top on and smoothed it out against her abdomen before walking back out into the living area. Seeing Max sop up the mess in the kitchen with a towel, Chloe stuck her tongue out at Max before going to the couch and retrieving her jacket.

"If _this_ had gotten bloody, I would've had to throw down, Mad Max," Chloe said as she gestured to her jacket.

"It _was_ just a joke," Max grumbled, ducking behind the counter to pop back up with a bottle exactly like her own, "See? I got you an actual bottle, too. Blue butt."

"I am the injured party. _You_ are the butt, but you're a cute butt so I will deal," Chloe said as she walked over and took her new beverage container with a quick kiss on Max's cheek. Opening the freezer once more, Chloe poured the remaining contents of the jug they had shared into her sports bottle before setting the empty jug aside. Capping the bottle, Chloe eyed the container. _A skull sticker? Something cool, definitely, something that says "Chloe Price, fucker!"._

"Give me a second and I'll be ready to go," Max said as she tossed the bloodied towel in the trash and walked herself to the bedroom, Chloe playfully smacking Max's ass as she left. Getting a wink in return, Chloe couldn't stop grinning at the sight of Max changing in the space across the apartment. _She could just_ stay _in that oversized t-shirt of hers. Wouldn't mind…_

Coming out of the bedroom shortly after, Max was wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans, and a flannel shirt tied around her waist. Slipping on a pair of sneakers in the hallway, Max walked back into the living room with her camera bag in hand. Snatching up her Polaroid and the sports bottle in the fridge, Max shooed Chloe out the door before locking it behind both of them. Gesturing to the steps, Max bowed graciously.

"After you, 'Chlo Chlo'," Max snickered.

"Don't make me use your full name," Chloe warned as she started to descend the stairs, laughing from the smirk practically falling off of Max's face as the brunette looked at Chloe in horror.

Pulling into Two Whales, Chloe and Max were both still sniggering at 'Chlo Chlo' and 'Maxine' as the truck was shut off. Turning to climb out her door, Chloe felt herself grabbed by the collar and was slammed down on her back by Max as the brunette looked down at the blue-haired girl. Wondering what Max was up to, Chloe gave her fiancé a confused look as the other girl looked at Chloe intensely. Silence enveloping them both for a second, Chloe was about to speak when Max gave Chloe a long, passionate kiss. Max's soft lips meeting her own, Chloe felt a whimper begin to rise in her throat before Max suddenly pulled back and leaned into Chloe's ear.

"I dare you to say my full name one more time. See what _doesn't_ happen anymore," Max teased before she turned around and slid down the seat from the passenger side to stand on the parking lot pavement.

"You are evil, Max," Chloe mumbled, wincing as she heard Max say "I heard that" from the other side of the truck before offering her hand out to Chloe.

Entering the diner, Max and Chloe were eyeballed by one of the decidedly _not_ -Joyce waitresses before the two girls sheepishly walked away from the menacing glare. Seeing two girls sitting at their usual booth, Max and Chloe exchanged a curious look with each other as they approached their spot.

"Hey-" Max started to say, her voice failing as an enormous grin spread across her face. Chloe just gawked at the people already seated, her jaw open in shock as Max soon joined her in their shared stupefaction.

Kate Marsh sat on the outside of one of the bench seats at the booth, her face reddening under the shocked expressions of her friends as she quickly pulled the hand she was holding under the table. The girl to whom the other hand belonged to giggled as she leaned in and gave Kate a light peck on the cheek, making Kate even more flustered and excitable.

"Ohmygosh, Dana! Stooop!" Kate said as she leaned her head on the table in embarrassment, "This was such a bad idea!"

"Calm down, Kate," Dana said as she rubbed Kate's back, "Chloe and Max are…would you two close your faces and sit down already?"

Responding instantly, Max and Chloe piled into the other booth and just watched the other two girls in complete silence. Kate peeked up from her folded arms a couple times before being gently brought out of her momentary hiding spot by Dana's comforting voice. Looking at Dana with a worried look on her face, Max and Chloe watched as Dana cupped Kate's cheek with her hand and Kate reciprocate by kissing the inside of that hand's palm.

"You two…are fucking adorable!" Chloe said, breaking the silence she and Max were stuck in, "Hella mushy, but adorable nonetheless!"

"I had no idea," Max admitted, her eyes still wide from shock, "But then again, it's not like I wear a t-shirt announcing myself, either."

"Well," Kate said as she squeezed Dana's hand, "surprise, I guess."

"When did _this_ happen?" Max asked, gesturing at Kate and Dana with her arms, "How serious is this? Who asked who out? What-"

"Max, stop," Dana said with another giggle, "We will answer those questions after we get some food ordered, okay?" Dana turned around in her and Kate's seat to flag down a waitress, "At least they're not busy today."

Four Belgian Waffles ordered, Max sipped at her coffee and Chloe drank a mouthful of soda as Kate and Dana both blushed under the other girls' scrutiny. Setting her coffee down, Max calmed herself and looked at Dana and Kate with a small smile before Chloe killed the peaceful moment.

"Spill, Lady Jesus," Chloe said between slurps of her soda.

"I'll go," Dana said, patting Kate on the shoulder, "Well…a few weeks ago-"

" _Weeks_?" Max sputtered, eyes beginning to widen again before apologizing for cutting Dana off, "Sorry."

"…a few weeks ago I had a, well, a really personal crisis. I was sitting in my room alone, crying and just feeling sorry for myself when I heard a knock at my door. When I opened it, there was Kate. It was late, so I asked her what she was doing up," Dana explained, pausing as she saw Kate open her mouth to speak, "Go ahead, Kate. It's cuter when you tell it, anyway."

"Dana…," Kate said, looking away in embarrassment for a few seconds before turning back and sighing, "I asked what was wrong, and we talked for a couple hours. About her personal problem, about my depression, and I told her that if she ever needed someone to talk to aside from Juliet that I would always be free for her."

"We…we got closer as the days went on, Kate would sometimes even fall asleep on my couch," Dana said with a chuckle as she teasingly poked Kate's shoulder, "She's so cute when she's sleepy."

"One night last week, we were watching a movie on Dana's laptop. It was late and we were both tired, so we fell asleep in Dana's bed," Kate said, giving Chloe an admonishing look at the blue-haired girl wiggled her eyebrows, " _Chloe_ , _stop_. We didn't do anything like that. But…"

"But…?" Chloe and Max asked in unison, leaning over the booth's table slightly in anticipation.

"…When I woke up," Dana said, looking at Kate for approval before continuing, "Kate and I were cuddling together. When Kate turned around in my arms, her eyes fluttered open and our faces were inches away. She looked at me sleepily and smiled, rubbed her nose against mine, and then she kissed me."

Chloe searched with her hand for Max's underneath the table, intertwining her blue-nailed fingers into Max's smaller digits. _I will_ not _fucking cry. I will not, despite it being super adorable._ Max looked over and saw the look of concentration on Chloe's face and shot the blue-haired girl a sly grin as Chloe realized Max knew what she was doing. Feeling Max lean into her shoulder, Chloe leaned her head on Max's and wiped the faint hint of tears from her eyes. _Ugh!_

The booth was silent again, the two couples exchanging looks with each other as all four girls broke into grins of varying sizes, Kate's face having to be gently pulled back by Dana every now and then as the attention directed at her was occasionally too much. Chloe saw Max's grin begin to fade as the brunette spoke up in a more sober tone.

"Who else knows about this?" Max asked, glancing at both Dana and Kate pointedly.

"Juliet and you two. That's it," Dana said, tightening her grip on Kate's hand, "We both made Juliet swear to secrecy."

"Then why agree to meet us _here_?" Chloe chimed in, understanding where Max was heading with her question, "Why Two Whales?"

"…Because I'm tired," Kate said, speaking up for the first time in a few minutes, "I'm tired of hiding, pretending I'm something that I am not. You don't understand what it's like, having to act one way and be another to such an extreme. My parents are _devout_ , the only person in my family who knew this about me was my gram. She passed away last year." Two small rivulets of tears began to cascade down Kate's cheek and Max handed her crying friend a napkin before exchanging a look with Chloe. _Yeah, Max, we totally_ do _know what it is like to hide ourselves and fake shit._

"Well, you don't have to pretend in front of us," Chloe said, trying to encourage Kate, "Max and I will stick with you no matter what, Kate. You're hella sweet and way too nice to everybody to begin with. You deserve some fucking happiness."

Kate was about to speak up, a faint smile on her lips from Chloe's words, when Dana's phone went off and she whispered "We have to get back to school" to her weary girlfriend. Looking at Dana affectionately, Kate gave the smiling Dana a light kiss on the lips while glaring at Chloe as the blue-haired girl mouthed _D'awwwww_. Pulling out their money, the four girls promptly tallied up how much each of them should pay and slapped down cash in the center of the table before heading out of Two Whales.

Seeing the new couple off as the bus pulled back onto the street, Chloe felt Max lean into her a bit as they squeezed each other's hands. Looking down, Chloe's heart melted at the happy tears running down Max's grinning face. Kissing the brunette on the top of her head, Chloe bumped her hip against Max's to get her fiancé's attention.

"Can't believe I never saw Kate liking girls coming," Chloe said, scratching at her hair with her free hand before pulling her beanie back on, "Max? Whatcha thinkin, pipsqueak'?"

"I don't think Kate likes girls," Max said, looking up at Chloe with a pensive face, "I don't think she likes boys. I think Kate likes people. She's so kind and so sweet that she just loves unconditionally. And you're right – she totally deserves happiness. She and Dana look so cute together, aghh!"

"Cuter than us?" Chloe asked, a small pout on her face.

"Did you just call us 'cute'? Who are you and what have you done with my fiancé?" Max retorted, tip-toeing to kiss Chloe on the cheek.

"One – hush. Two – I am Eolhc, Chloe's evil clone. I am on a mission to seduce you and turn you to my side, Max Caulfield," Chloe joked as she and Max headed toward the truck.

"But I made you a vampire."

"Never said my mission was a success, you bloodsucking fiend."

Arriving back at the apartment, Chloe shut off the truck as she got out into the small lot behind the building. Watching Max stifle a yawn as she clambered out of the passenger side, Chloe thought that with everything going on. It was nice to just be able to do simple stuff like an impromptu double-date at Two Whales, Chloe thinking about the new development with Kate and Dana as well as herself and Max's developing relationship. Reciprocating Max's yawn with one of her own, Chloe walked over and took the sleepy brunette's hand. Getting a drowsy smile from Max in return, Chloe scooped Max up in her arms and carried her fiancé to up the steps, giggling as Max stuck her hands into her pockets and unlocked the apartment door.

Looking back to the closed door, Chloe remembered that Max's camera bag was still in the truck but shrugged. _I'll get it later. Truck's locked, and I think Max wedged the bag under the seat. Should be fine_. Kicking off her boots, Chloe gave Max little kisses all over her face until the brunette sleepily opened up her eyes.

"Mmm, noooo," Max said, Chloe biting her lip at how insanely cute Max was as the brunette nuzzled her face into Chloe's shirt.

"Maxaroni? Max-a-roni? Kick your shoes off, girl," Chloe whispered, nearly jumping as Max kicked her shoes off with enough force that they smacked against the wall hard. Getting a snort from Max in return as she looked up at Chloe with one bleary eye and a crinkled nose, Chloe mouthed _You little fucker_ before walking to the bedroom and lying Max down.

Pulling the blankets over Max, Chloe was about to head to the living room when she felt a tugging sensation at the back of her jacket. Smiling to herself, Chloe turned her head to see Max sitting up and looking at her with half-closed eyes. Her hair already looking like bed head, Max sleepily grinned as she tugged on Chloe's jacket one more time.

"Go to sleep, Max," Chloe said with a chuckle, taking in how adorable Max was being.

"Sleep wif me," Max mumbled as she began to nod, "Sleep…Che…"

Pulling her jacket out of Max's grasp as delicately as she could, Chloe stripped down to her bra and boxers before taking Max's clothes off as well. Both girls in their underwear, Chloe curled herself up behind Max and began to spoon the small brunette. Feeling Max stir, Chloe kissed the back of Max's neck and felt Max turn around in her arms so that her face was nestled against Chloe's collarbone. Holding Max more tightly, Chloe felt herself begin to get drowsy as Max's small arms wound themselves around Chloe's waist and locked her fingers together.

Chloe woke up to the sound of someone pounding on the door to the apartment, sitting up at the same time Max did. Scrambling to put on some clothes, Chloe looked up to see Max calmly walking to the door in her own bra and boxers. Hearing "Oh, please" when in response to Chloe's request that Max put some clothes on, Chloe heard the door open before Max came walking back down the hallway wearing Chloe's jacket. When Chloe saw their guest join Max in the living room area, Chloe's jaw snapped shut as she saw Victoria Chase slowly make her way inside.

"What the _fuck_?!" Chloe yelled out as she finished putting on her jeans, grabbing Max's discarded clothes and tossing them at Max as she went to the kitchen to grab another bottle of clear liquor. _If she's here, I sure as fuck am going to make sure I am hella turnt. Hope this is the strong stuff from last night_ , Chloe thought as she took a drink and felt the appropriate burning sensation that came with her memory of last night's moonshine. _No Goldshclager? Taking the kid gloves off, Max? Nice._

"Hi to you, retard," Victoria snapped back, immediately making an apologetic face at Max when she saw the icy stare the brunette gave her, "Sorry. Old habits and whatever."

"Victoria," Max said as she finished getting dressed, not caring about how much Victoria was _trying_ to avert her eyes, "What do you want? Shouldn't you still be in the hospital?"

"My father pulled some strings and got me a small apartment on the other side of town. I _was_ assaulted on Blackwell's campus, as you well know. Anyway, I have medical equipment there to help me better recuperate than some dank hospital." Chloe watched Victoria pull out a vaporizer and take a long hit before blowing out the steam.

"You got a pot pen? Fucking lucky," Chloe half-muttered as she took the empty chair, Max sitting across from Victoria with rapt attention.

"I thought you told the police you didn't remember…," Max said, her tone bordering on both accusatory and questioning.

"I _did_ , Max, but it isn't exactly difficult when there is a huge smear of your own blood on the library floor. Never mind the black stain that _thing_ left behind. This lovely conversation is _not_ why I came here," Victoria said, rolling her eyes as she rolled the vaporizer in the palm of her hand.

"Why _did_ you come here, then?" Chloe asked pointedly, fighting to not pop her fangs out and scare the shit out of Victoria. _She knows about Max, but let's see what happens when_ I _spring at the bitch._

"The police mentioned something to me when they cornered me at school today, that they were going to look further into what you were up to," Victoria said as she looked at Max, "So whatever the hell you two are doing I would tone it the fuck down," Victoria snidely retorted, her tone clipped as she brushed at her blouse like there was something in the air spoiling her clothing.

"That's it?" Max asked, her tone betraying her disbelief, "Uhhh, nope, that isn't it. What else?"

"…Not that I care about the shit anymore, but what did you do to Nathan? Asshole moved to Florida, something about wanting to stay with his grandparents," Victoria uttered ambivalently.

"I didn't do anything," Max said, her tone wounded, "You should've tried to find out what _he_ did to me and Chloe."

Victoria glanced from where she was standing to look past Max at Chloe, then shrugged as she took another puff from her vaporizer. Rolling her eyes, Max ushered Victoria out the door and locked it behind Victoria.

"…Shit," Max said, flopping down onto the couch and putting her head in her hands, "Shit, shit, and _shit!_ "

"You okay, dude?" Chloe inquired, seeing the distressed look on Max's face, "Max? Max, what's wrong?"

"The story I gave the police might crumple up if they try to pry any more out of Victoria," Max said with a sigh, "I wasn't exactly serving them up with a flawless reimagining, Chloe. I basically told them that I parked my Vespa hallway down the main road to Blackwell because I saw Victoria running through the woods while screaming bloody murder."

"Yeah, but they have nothing else to go on. For all they know, she was running from something and Blackwell was where it started. Kids on PCP or some shit like that," Chloe said, getting up from her chair to join Max on the couch. Chloe pulled Max's head down so that the brunette was resting in Chloe's lap. "You'll be fine, tiny. I won't let it be otherwise."

"Oh yeah?" Max asked, looking up at Chloe from where her head was resting, shifting her position so that she was lying face-up to look directly at the blue-haired girl, "What'll you do if it isn't fine?"

"Hide you in my closet back at my mom's," Chloe said with a chuckle, "Big enough for tiny Max."

"Sure, Chloe. Keep telling yourself that when I've torn up all your clothes so I can nest," Max said, shooting Chloe a look before looking at the clock above the bathroom door. "It's almost sunset. What do you want to do tonight?"

"Well…," Chloe said, Max watching as the other girl mused, "Oh! Actually, I have an amazeballs idea! Um, can you give me a couple hours or so? I need to go take care of some bidness first."

Sitting up from Chloe's lap, Max gave Chloe a curious look and told her that would be fine. Excited as a plan began to unfold in her mind, Chloe couldn't stop smiling as she quickly gathered her things and made for the door. Running back into the apartment, Chloe walked up to a bemused Max and gave her a soft kiss before telling the brunette that she would see her soon. _She will have no idea what hit her! I've got something for you, Max Caulfield!_ Chloe thought with a grin as she hopped the practically flew down the steps.

Max looked up from her phone with a smirk as she heard Chloe pull up in her truck, the vehicle's speakers blaring Cheap Trick's "Hello There" so loudly that Max thought Chloe might come out deaf. Chloe couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Max sitting there, waiting for her. Texting Max 10 minutes ago, Chloe had simply told her to meet at the lighthouse parking lot. While not either girl's favorite place for relaxation or recreation, Chloe had insisted until Max finally caved. Chloe watched as Max involuntarily flinched from her parking right next to Max and her little Vespa. Seeing the exhilarated look on Chloe's face, Max couldn't help but laugh at the glee coming from her fiancé.

"What are you up to, Chloe Price?" Max asked as she put a hand on her hip. Chloe flipped through her phone for a second before pocketing it, seeing Max smirk. _I wonder if she even has a clue…_

"Max Caulfield, come on over! You're the next contestant on 'The Chlo is Right'!" Chloe shouted as she opened the driver's side door. Walking up to the opened truck cab, Max looked up slightly at Chloe as she sat sideways on the vehicle's seat, her legs dangling out in the open. Taking a step further, Max felt Chloe's legs wrap around her as she was pulled to where their faces were only inches apart.

"Hey," Chloe said, smiling as she placed a soft kiss on Max's lips.

"Hey yourself, road hazard," Max whispered, returning Chloe's kiss with one of her own, "What have you got planned for us tonight, evil genius?"

Max replied in agreement, moving in for a more passionate meeting of their lips. Max visibly deflated as Chloe playfully tilted her head back to deflect Max's puckered lips, "So. Where we going?"

"Hang on a sec," Chloe said, climbing out of the cab of the truck. Reaching into the bed, Chloe pulled out a cardboard box that had been shut tight and looked over at Max suspiciously before picking up her cargo. Curious, Max leaned her head over only for Chloe to quickly block Max's vantage point.

"No! Not here!" Chloe blurted out, her face reddening, "Just…just follow me, okay?" _No peeking!_

Max shrugged, electing to let Chloe have her fun. Walking ahead of Max, Chloe heard the other girl take quick shots of various animals, plants, and rock formations as they made their way along the lighthouse path. Having to reassure both Max and herself that nothing bad was going to happen this time, Chloe was determined to lighten the mood. _Max has done so much for me since she's been back. Time I did something just as sweet. Better not damage my street cred, though. Heh._

Max stuffed photo after photo into her camera bag. Despite the hilltop bringing her nothing but painful memories to both girls recently, Max still managed to find beauty out among the trees, it was that peaceful to her. Chloe snickered when Max bumped into her as she stopped walking, guessing that Max was so lost in her photography she hadn't even noticed what else was going on.

"Dude, pay attention," Chloe said as she turned around to give Max an irked expression as she gestured to the box in her hands, "I don't want to break any of this, okay?"

"Okay, Chloe. Okay," Max replied with a chuckle at Chloe's seriousness, making Chloe feel even more mischievous. _Max, you are not going to see this coming! Hella yes!_

"Are we headed up to the lighthouse area?" Max asked, Chloe picking up on the panic in Max's voice at the idea of revisiting a sight that was loaded with bad memories for both girls. _I got you, Maxaroni. No worries._

"No. Follow me," Chloe said casually, taking off into the tall grass and trees that outlined the main path up to the lighthouse.

There was no discernable pathway, wherever Chloe was taking them. Footfall after footfall, Chloe couldn't help but smirk and chuckle on occasion as she heard Max grumble about the height of the grass.

"This is your karma for the twigs last night, Max. The ground wants you to eat grass and branches!" Chloe said with a laugh as she heard Max cry out in surprise from getting smacked in the face by a bush Chloe had walked past. _For once, I have an advantage in where we're going_ , Chloe thought as she continued on with Max following right behind, _This is the perfect time to have it, too._

Chloe heard Max gasp as she noticed a rock overhang up ahead and the blue-haired girl smiled as she led Max underneath it. Two lawn chairs and an old wooden table sat underneath the outcropping. Setting the box down on the desk, Chloe quickly turned to Max and asked if she could go get some firewood. Nodding plainly, Max took off back down the hill towards a clearing. Hurriedly setting everything up, Chloe had just finished her preparations as Max returned a few minutes later. Chloe walked up to Max and set the firewood down as she kissed the deeply surprised girl on the forehead, the brunette stunned by what had been spread out during her short time away.

A bottle of champagne was sitting in what looked like a hotel room's ice bucket alongside the rock face, small containers of various fruits pieces and chocolates splayed out on the desk. Chloe led Max to the table and lit a candle placed next to the food, smiling contentedly when she felt Max's arms slowly wrap around her waist. Max kissed her on the shoulder and then the neck as she peeked over her shoulder to once more observe the results of Chloe's scheme. Chloe blushed when she saw the look of awe on Max's face. _Plan executed, but I didn't count for_ myself _to be the bashful one. Goddamnit._

"I thought you didn't do mushy," Max said, trying not to sound _too_ astounded. Standing on her tip-toes, Max leaned in and gave Chloe a quick peck on the cheek, "This is amazing, Che, but what's the occasion?"

"…I don't need a reason to treat my lady," Chloe said, chuckling nervously as she scratched at her beanie. _Again, stop being bashful, jackass._ "I, uh…this went over so much more easily in my head…"

"Huh?" Max asked with increased interest, "What did?"

"Max. I know that things have been…really fucked up as of late, and that we are struggling," Chloe looked over at Max before continuing, "I've asked a lot of you recently, so I wanted to do something hella cool for you as an expression of how I feel because you show me every day how much you love me."

"Chloe Price, are you secretly a hopeless romantic?" Max teased, poking Chloe in the side as she moved to examine all the things Chloe had brought, "This is so sweet, and so lovely. Awww, you remembered the little chocolate pumpkins from when we were kids." _I honestly don't think I could ever forget anything about you, Max_ , Chloe thought as she made a gesture of displaying all of her spoils, her smart-ass style hiding her not-so-secret romanticism.

"Halloween _is_ approaching, making them easier to find. Max…will we ever be okay? Not just working through things and being in love, but…will there ever come a point where we _aren't_ having to work through shit anymore?" Chloe's voice became progressively somber as she finished the last question.

"Wowsers, Che…," Max said, mildly alarmed, before putting a hand out to cup Chloe's cheek. Kissing her fiancé softly on the lips, Max leaned herself into Chloe and buried her face in the taller girl's shirt for a moment before looking up at her blue-eyed love, "Of course there will be. It's more than optimism, Chlo. It is faith in _us_."

Max inhaled, taking in Chloe's scent from the t-shirt. Chloe felt a shiver run up her spine but suppressed the sensation as she held onto Max while the brunette continued to take small sniffs of Chloe while nuzzling her nose against the other's chest. Kissing Max on the top of her head, Chloe ran her fingers playfully through the coppery strands of Max's hair before pulling back and to gesture toward the bottle of champagne.

"Joyce's. Snuck over there and found it stowed away in the fridge behind some leftovers. I confiscated it for our festivities," Chloe said, letting the cork shoot out after finally getting the wrapping off, "Here. Take a swig."

Max smirked as she shook her head at Chloe's antics. Reaching for the bottle, Max and Chloe's fingers touched and both girls looked away in a moment of shyness. _She still does that to me. I think you've got me, Max Caulfield._ Taking a drink, Max coughed a bit from the bubbles before passing the bottle back to Chloe, the other girl taking a longer drink.

"Ahhh. S'good shit, right? Not your hella strong hillbilly juice from last night, but romance is in the air right now so tough shit," Chloe said with a grin, placing the bottle down next to one of the chairs before moving to the table to peruse the small assortment of food, "What you feel like munchin' on?"

"You," Max said with a goofy smile, Chloe nearly choking on a piece of chocolate. _So very hardcore, Max. But so am I._

"C'mon, Max. 'Chloe Brulee' isn't on the menu this time. Pick something else."

"Umm…the strawberries. Ooh, and the chocolate pumpkins!"

"As you wish," Chloe said in a wistful tone, spinning around with a plastic container in each hand.

Taking the strawberries from Chloe, Max helped the other girl sit down before popping a halved piece of the selected fruit into Chloe's mouth. Chewing slowly, Chloe cringed for a second at the _partially frozen_ strawberry before smiling as Max turned to look at her. _She's such a doofus. She's_ my _doofus, though._

"Good?" Chloe asked, watching expectantly as Max swallowed a piece of strawberry, "Sorry they're so cold. Guess the grocery store's fresh fruit isn't quite so fresh, heh."

"No, Chloe, it's good! It's really good!" Max said with a playful grin, leaning in to kiss Chloe with reddened lips. Chloe ran her fingers through Max's hair, pulling Max a little further into the kiss for a moment before letting go. Letting out a faint sound of pleasure, Max kissed Chloe on the nose. With still having her fingers in Max's hair, Chloe saw the look on her fiancé's face as Max asked with an inquiring smile. "You were saying?"

Chloe smiled back at Max as she leaned in for another kiss, only to curse under her breath as the champagne bottle tipped over behind her. Chloe turned to try and salvage what was still in the bottle, but Max caught her shoulder and spun her back so they were face-to-face. Chloe smirked as Max tripped her up so that she was lying on the ground, Max laying down beside her a split-second later. Leaning in, Max let her lips fall softly onto Chloe's and held them at the briefest point of contact before slowly kissing with more intensity. Biting at Chloe's lower lip, she tugged on it playfully until Chloe slightly opened her mouth. Returning her attention to both lips, Max slid her tongue out and into Chloe's mouth as their kisses became more passionate, tongues writhing and sliding against one another. Pressing up against each other, Max leaned back into the rock face a bit more and motioned for Chloe to sit on her lap.

"But you're tiny," Chloe said, smirking between kisses. _Hella yes, hella fucking yes._

"I'm hella strong," Max replied, panting as Chloe's entire being enveloped her senses.

" _So_ fucking hardcore, Caulfield."

Eyes closed, Max felt the slight weight of Chloe pressed against her waist and stomach as she sat in Max's lap. Opening her eyes, Max looked up to see Chloe looming over her. The moonlight played tricks on Max's eyes, making it look as though Chloe's hair was glistening with the iridescence of an angel's halo as a breeze sent small tufts of blue hair cascading over Chloe's face. Her right eye obscured, Chloe's left eye glinted with mischief as she leaned down to kiss Max. Shrugging her jacket off, Chloe took Max's hands and placed them firmly on her chest, gasping softly as she felt the touch of Max's small hands fondle her breasts through the clothes.

"I thought we had too much serious shit-" Max said, teasing Chloe by loosening her grip only to have her hands pinned once more to Chloe's chest by the blue-haired girl's slightly larger hands.

"Shut up, Max Attack. We're here, we're alone. Be here with me and not a buzzkill, nerd," Chloe said as she stood up and began to box up the food so that it was out of the way, "Sorry, food, but you're cramping my style."

"Oh, so I'm your undead booty call. That it?" Max asked, sliding up behind Chloe to wrap an arm around her waist, tugging at the zipper for Chloe's jeans.

"Well, when you put it like that…," Chloe said in response between pants as Max's hand slid down into her pants, slender fingers gliding along the inside of her thighs, "Oh _fuck_ , Max."

Max spun Chloe around and sat her on the table, returning Chloe's mischievous grin with a smoldering look as she slowly began to take her own shirt off, dropping it on top of Chloe's jacket as she tugged at her girlfriend's jeans. Propping herself up on her elbows, Chloe watched with a relish as Max slowly unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, sliding them down to Chloe's ankles. Max gently removed the boots off Chloe's feet and set them next to their discarded clothing, smirking as she did so.

Looking Chloe in the eye, Max winked playfully and yanked the jeans the rest of the way off in one pull, adding them to the growing pile of clothes. Lying herself back down onto the old table, Chloe stretched her arms out in invitation to Max.

"Come here," Chloe said, her voice low and sultry, "Be with me."

"Hold your horses, hot stuff," Max said, both girls pausing a moment before removing the rest of their clothing as quickly as possible. The pile of clothes next to the rock face grew a little taller before Max laid down next to Chloe on the table.

"Uh, is this going to hold us? I mean, if you have something else in mind besides just lying here?" Max asked, looking at the table they were lying on with some concern.

"It looks sturdy enough," Chloe said, knocking on the table with her knuckles, "But let's hope for a little extra luck."

Chloe didn't know what was better, being with Max or being with Max in the spaciousness of the woods. She had never shown anybody this secret place of hers, not even Rachel. It was her super-secret escape, the place she had come to over the years when she wanted to lower her guard and let her punk-ass attitude give way to the woman she was becoming. _I'm here now, with the woman I love at the one place in this shit town where no one will ever find us. This is so amazeballs._

Chloe panted as Max kissed down her body, each touch of her lover's tender lips sending an electric charge through her entire body. Chloe didn't know or care how her body reacted now that she was like Max. All she wanted was to feel Max the way Max felt her. Feeling Max's head begin to make its way down towards her thighs, Chloe gently cupped Max by the chin and pulled her up to eye-level. Sliding her tongue into Max's mouth once more, Chloe felt a moment of regret as she saw storm clouds gather overhead.

"Fuck!" Chloe uttered between kisses, "Max, uh, storm. I think this will have to be-"

"Fuck the storm, Che. Fuck _me_ ," Max said, now also panting as she straddled herself across Chloe's waist, "Make love to me right now." _That look, Max, that fucking look. You could make me burn with those eyes._

"But…storm," Chloe said, Max's tongue obstructing her ability to speak. Chloe almost regretted her words when Max pulled back and sat up while still straddling the blue-haired girl.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price, I swear, if _you_ turn out to be the buzzkill-" Max started before both girls yelped as the table creaked and two of the legs snapped, the aged piece of furniture no longer able to withstand their weight. Landing on the ground with a _thud_ , Chloe looked up at a startled Max and broke into a fit of laughter. Looking down at Chloe, Max tried to look pissed off but began to giggle in response to the carefree exuberance on her lover's face.

When the rain came, they were still lying on the ground in fits of laughter. Starting off as a sprinkle, Chloe kissed at the increasingly wet Max as they began to horse around and roll in the leaves. Seeing a smear of mud on Max's cheek, Chloe realized they were going to be a mess soon if they at least didn't get out of the rain. Hopping to her feet, the blue-haired girl took the brunette's hand and pulled both of them to the rocky overhang. Chloe held Max tightly against her as they watched the rain turn go from a sprinkle to a thunderstorm. Looking at each other as the lightning flashed across the night sky, Chloe leaned her forehead into Max's and snickered.

"We're still naked," Chloe stated, a smile on her face, "We should get dressed."

"We totally should," Max said as both girls' hands began to lightly explore each other.

"Yeah."

"Uh-huh."

Chloe shoved, kicked, and pushed everything out from under the overhang until there was just smooth stone above their heads and smooth stone under their feet. Lying Max down slowly, Chloe climbed on top of her and began to kiss her neck. Working her way up to Max's lips, Chloe teased Max by licking her tongue across the mouth only to feel herself get teased as Max slipped a finger down into the wetness between Chloe's thighs.

"You… _unhh_ …you cheater," Chloe stammered, biting her lip as a small fingertip played itself around the edges of her pussy.

Chloe ran a hand down Max's side, feeling the smooth skin tremble beneath her touch before her fingers made their way to Max's breast. Tilting her head down, Chloe licked at the stiff nipple and bit at it. Eliciting a sharp intake of breath from Max, Chloe softened her bite into a light nibble before licking it a couple more times. Max moaned with pleasure as she wrapped her legs around Chloe's waist and pulled her fiancé in to kiss her passionately.

Chloe felt Max's lips make their way all across her face, soft kisses with each one lasting a second longer than the one before. Slipping an arm between her side and Max's interlocked leg, Chloe rubbed her hand against Max's inner thigh and felt those same lips that were kissing her face part slightly and exhale air onto her cheek.

Inching her hand closer to Max's pussy, Chloe teased Max by keeping her hand still only for Max to bury her face in Chloe's neck. Hearing a softly-spoken "please", Chloe smiled as she granted Max's request.

"Fuck, Chloe. _Fuck_ ," Max moaned as Chloe let her fingers work their magic, sliding first one, then two fingers inside of Max. Chloe bit at the top of Max's ear, the brunette's face still buried in her neck as she nibbled at Chloe's collarbone. Hearing a gasp in reply to her unspoken request, Max shifted her body and Chloe soon felt a hand rub itself along the back of her palm before sliding two fingers inside of Chloe.

The thunder and rain drowned out their screams and moans, Max and Chloe writing underneath the overhand as both girls panted and trembled in ecstasy at each other's touch. Neither girl surrendering to the other, their love-making gained a competitive edge to it as Chloe and Max worked harder to make each other give in first. With one final clap of thunder, their passion ended in a draw as their bodies harmonized in one outcry of two voices.

Lying on the rock, dressed in soaked clothing, Chloe and Max stared up at the overhand in blissful absentmindedness. Blinking slowly, Chloe had never felt such a rush _ever_. Her body still quivering every now and then almost an hour later, Chloe felt Max lean her head on Chloe's shoulder. Chloe patted the rock under her hand and felt fingers intertwining with her own.

"Think we could sleep here?" Chloe asked, her body physically present by her mind halfway somewhere else.

"I don't think it would be the most comfortable," Max said with a giggle, leaning up further to add another hickey to the new collection on Chloe's neck, "If I make any more, I could connect the dots. Ooh, maybe I should set it up to make a marijuana leaf. Would that be hardcore?"

"Totally hardcore. Um, Max?" Chloe's soft, anxious tone lifting Max's head up in response. Chloe saw the curious look in the brunette's eyes, the rest of her face either covered in wet hair or still nestled against Chloe's neck.

"Can I…can I stay the night with you?"

Chloe peered down and saw Max's blue eyes blink a single time, her nose crinkling. Chloe purred as she felt Max's lips on her neck form into a smile.

"One for 'yes', two for 'no'?" Chloe asked, receiving another single blink in reply before Max lifted her head up the rest of the way, hovering her face only a few inches above Chloe's.

"I think I would like that," Max told Chloe, both girls giggling as Chloe pulled Max into her arms.

 **Author's Note – Another chapter without doom and gloom! I know, I'm spoiling you, but I'm also spoiling myself so muahahaha! Note that while Max** _ **did**_ **say that Chloe could spend the night it wasn't an invitation for Chloe to move back in. Taking it slow, making the progress feel more important.**

 **Who knew Chloe Price was secretly a hopeless romantic? A smart-ass one to be sure, but still…**

 **Read, review, and I will see you in 23!**

 **Stay hella, Cinnamon Rolls!**

 **PS – If you follow me on Tumblr, you might've seen my Kate/Dana pairing coming. I slip spoilers and teases in my posts every now and then (^_^)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Into The Light, from the song by In This Moment (this is a seriously beautiful song and I highly recommend you go to YouTube and check it out)**

 **THIS BREAKS 200,000 WORDS! BREAK OUT YER PARTY HATS AND PIN THE TAIL ON THE DAVID POSTERS! WOO!**

 ** _NOTE - I will be on hiatus from July 3rd to July 5th to recharge and be with my family. They're going through some rough times still, and I need to regroup so that I can wrap this story up._**

 **2001**

Chloe's favorite ride in the playground was the merry-go-round. Running as fast as she could, Chloe would shriek with delight as she climbed on, spinning around like crazy with a cheerful smile on her face. Once, her dad pushed the merry-go-round so fast that Chloe's legs lifted up in the air and she laughed so hard that she inadvertently let go of the bar she had latched onto. Flying off, Chloe had landed awkwardly on one of her ankles and she looked up at William Price with a quivering lip.

"Oh, sweetie, does it hurt," Chloe's dad asked her as he knelt next to his daughter, forehead creased with worry.

"Nah," Chloe said as she tried to stand only to fall on her butt, "I'm just sad."

"Why are you sad, Chloe?" William said, smiling at his sweet daughter.

"I'm not gonna get to play on the merry-round anymore, am I?"

"Well," William said, leaning close to his daughter as though he were telling her a secret, "If we tell your mom that it was because of the swings, I'm sure that once your ankle is better you can give the merry-go-round another chance."

"Yaaaaaayy!" Chloe cheered, raising her arms so that her dad could help her up, "But you got it wrong, Daddy. It's merry-round, not merry- _guh_ -round."

"Of course, kiddo. Of course."

A couple days later, Chloe came hobbling over to the merry-go-round with a crutch, her dad staying back as he went to get them some ice cream. Sitting on the bench near her favorite ride, Chloe made a _humph_ noise as she saw another girl on the merry-go-round. Sliding off the bench, Chloe hobbled over and pouted at the girl before frowning as she saw the sad look on the other girl's face.

"What's wrong? Hey! I _said_ what's wrong?" Chloe asked with her little voice raised.

A mop of brunette hair and a face full of freckles, the little girl sat in the middle of the merry-go-round with her knees folded against her chest. Her eyes red from crying, the sad little girl looked up at Chloe as she sniffled.

"No one will play with me," she said in a tired voice, "I ask if someone will help me push the merry-round and nobody _does_. I asked nicely, like my daddy told me to. Kids are butts!"

"Ooh, you said butts!" Chloe said, putting a hand to her mouth.

Hearing her dad call to her, Chloe turned and saw him approaching with a smiling, bearded man. Thanking her dad for the ice cream cone, Chloe sat on the bench next to him, telling him that the girl on the merry-go-round said a bad word.

"What'd she say, Chloe?" William asked, a grin on his face.

"She said 'butts'!"

"Butts isn't _too_ bad, Chlo."

"B-B-but _Mom said_ -"

"Chloe…you just said 'butts'. Besides, it's not nice to be a tattle-tale. Look at her, Chloe. She needs a friend, not a tattle-tale," William said, Chloe looking over to see the bearded man hand the crying girl a waffle cone as he tried to coax her off the merry-go-round.

"Dad…who is she? Who's he?"

"Well, that's the little girl's father, Chloe. If you want to know the girl's name, go over there and introduce yourself."

Scrunching her lips together as she thought, Chloe gave her dad the ice cream and slid off the bench once more. Gripping at her crutch as she hobbled back over to the merry-go-round, Chloe eyed the other girl as the other girl eyed her. Sniffling, the little brunette girl mouthed _butts_ and smiled. Unlike last time, Chloe giggled instead of being shocked. The other girl giggling in return, Chloe walked to the edge of the merry-go-round and sat down.

"Wha' happened to your foot?" the brunette said as she slid over a little bit.

"It got sprained from using this merry-round. My daddy pushed so hard I flew," Chloe said as she kicked her dangling legs.

"Wowwwwwwww," the other girl said in astonishment, sliding over a little bit more, "D'you want some of my waffle cone?"

"…What's th' flavor?" Chloe asked, eyeing the other girl's ice cream.

"…Um, Strawberry Explosion! It has real strawberries in it!" the little brunette girl said excitedly as she slid next to Chloe, smiling so that Chloe could see a missing front tooth.

"No _wayyyy_. Ice cream doesn't have fruit, ice cream has milk," Chloe said matter-of-factly.

"Then try it…unless you're a butt."

"I am _not_ a…a butt!"

Chloe leaned over and took a bite of the other girl's ice cream, the two children oblivious to their fathers' glowing smiles at watching their girls make a new friend. Chloe's eyes opening in wonder at the large piece of strawberry in her mouth, she looked at the other girl in shock.

"There's fruit in that!" Chloe said excitedly

"Told ya," the other girl said, "Where's your ice cream?"

"My daddy has it," Chloe said as she slid off the merry-go-round and turned to look at the other girl, "Hey, when I'm all better I'll come and push the merry-round with you."

"Really?" the other girl said as her eyes lit up, "You mean it?"

"Really. You seem cool, except for calling me a butt," Chloe said, both girls giggling.

"I'm Max," the brunette said as she slid off the merry-go-round, "I think my daddy is talking to yours. I've seen your daddy with mine when I go to work with him."

"If our daddies work together then you _must_ be cool," Chloe said as she took Max's free hand with her own, "I'm Chloe. I think we should be friends."

"Really?" Max asked excitedly.

"Really," Chloe said with a smile as the two girls walked over towards their dads, smiles and ice cream on their innocent faces.

 **2013**

"If you can't catch up with me at this point, Che, then something is _really_ wrong with you!" Max called back as she sprinted ahead in the woods, waving Chloe's shirt from her outstretched arm, "You'll be Arcadia Bay's newest attraction!"

"Give it _back_ , shirt thief!" Chloe yelled as she sprinted after Max, dodging a tree as she leapt over the fallen trunk, "This is not…fucking…coooool!"

Max couldn't help but giggle as Chloe popped up in her peripheral vision, grins on both their faces at the fun they were having. Not hiding anything anymore, being honest with each other, and taking things slow was paying off in a big way. They were growing into each other and falling in love all over again. With a whooping cry, Max leapt back and blew a kiss at Chloe before she leaped straight up from where she landed the first time. Faintly hearing Chloe grumble as the distance between them shifted once more, Max couldn't help but bust up laughing only to feel something fly past her as something flicked her ear.

"Don't get cocky, nerd! I'm gaining on ya!" Chloe shouted from above as she began to descend on Max's position, "Now gimme back my shirt!"

Leaning back, Max felt her body begin to fall back down to the forest floor at an angle that led her in the direction of a tree branch. Shouting "I don't think so!" at Chloe, flipping so that she landed on the branch and shot off in a different direction, Max heard Chloe yell "Goddamnit Maaaaaxxx!" as the brunette picked up speed.

Chloe grunted in frustration as she watched Max zip away, practically flying in a horizontal line as she bounced off a tree branch. _Now she'll just use her fucking super-super-speed and basically tell me to kiss her ass. Which I would do, don't get me wrong. Just not when it came to_ this _._ Landing on the same branch, Chloe's foot slipped and she topped over before falling toward the forest floor. Screaming for help, Chloe knew that while a short fall might not kill her the fall from the her height moments ago will leave her as a brackish smear on the foliage. Seeing a blur out of the corner of her eye, Chloe felt relief before Max even swooped in and caught her.

"Nice one, Dork Wonder," Max chided with Chloe's shirt between her teeth, a smirk on her face as she carried Chloe in her arms. Carefully slowing down, Max set Chloe down on the ground before releasing the Green Day shirt from her teeth. Tossing the tank-top at Chloe, Max smiled in triumph and kissed the grumpy Chloe on the cheek before tilting her head to Chloe's ear and whispering "Soooo sexy".

"Shaddap!" Chloe snapped back, fighting the laughter she felt rising in her throat. Pulling her top on, Chloe wouldn't even give Max the credit for her win as she held her hand out expectantly.

"No prize? No reward?" Max asked, feigning hurt as she pouted. She scrunched her nose and smiled as Chloe walked over to her and leaned down for a kiss, Max holding the kiss as she held onto Chloe's chin before pulling, "Damn right."

Chloe held out her hand again, snapping her fingers as she waited impatiently. Smiling gleefully, Max pulled off her own black tank-top and tossed it at Chloe with a chuckle when the shirt landed on Chloe's head. Slowly pulling the shirt away from her face, Chloe raised an eyebrow at Max only to receive a stuck-out tongue in response.

"Five seconds?" Chloe asked, hands on her hips as she looped the shirt through a belt loop on her jeans.

"I'll give you ten if you promise me ice cream when I win this one, too," Max said as she began to bounce on her toes, winking at Chloe as the blue-haired girl gave her the middle finger.

"Okay, SuperMax, show me how the elderly do it."

"Whatever you say, my 'fragile little flower'."

" _Ughhhh,_ " Chloe said as she rolled her eyes before sprinting away, Max replying with "See you soon" before dashing after her prey ten seconds later.

Pulling into the back area of the apartment building, Chloe shut off her truck as Max slid out of the passenger seat with Chloe following suit from the driver's side. Hopping into the truck bed, Chloe rolled the Vespa to the open tailgate and let Max pick up the scooter before gently setting it down and rolling it over to its usual spot by the steps. Wiping her hands against her jeans, Max turned around to find a grinning Chloe right behind her.

"No, you can't stay tonight," Max said with a stern tone of voice, Chloe's smiling descending into a pout as the blue-haired girl lifted her hands up in an impersonation of a dog, "Pupply Chlo will not avail you. I _can't_."

"B-but last night, 'Puppy' Chloe said, still pouting as she now added small whimpers and wagged her butt.

"Last night was…amazing, Che," Max said, letting out a sigh as she pulled at Chloe's collar so that the taller girl would lean down for a kiss. Feeling their lips connect, Max honestly didn't want for Chloe to leave. Unfortunately, she had responsibilities. "Amazing and wonderful and you are beautiful. _But_ …"

"Yeah, I know. You have work," Chloe said, disengaging her puppy mode as she leaned her forehead into Max's and pushed the smaller girl slightly from the connection, "You're tearing me apart, Max!"

"A reference from _The Room_?"

"…no comment…"

"I didn't get any work done last night, I the two hours I had after you left and before the deadline to go through an entire memory card of photos, and _then_ I had three photoshoots with some of my clientele. I need to go through my own photos, have a drink, and crash. _I can't do that if I have you in my bed wanting to make with the sexy_ ," Max said, poking Chloe in the ribs with every word from the last sentence.

"Owww," Chloe whined, holding her side only for Max to roll her eyes at Chloe's fake injury.

"C'mon, Chloe. It's not like you won't see me tomorrow," Max said, sidling up to the despondent Chloe with an impish grin on her face. Chloe returned her impish grin as she kissed Max on the cheek.

"Fine, Bat-Max. Return to your cave," Chloe said with a smirk, "Just no secret vampire ninja battles on the rooftop while I'm away. Okay?"

"I wish I had never told you about that," Max said, putting the palm of her hand to her forehead.

"Dude, you're like a rogue ninja. You had to defeat your master to become your own master, except you cut him in half with your hands. _Hella_ badass, Caulfield."

"Hella sad, too," Max said, looking down at her feet before a blue-nailed finger hooked around her chin and pulled her up.

"You've got me, Maxaroni. We'll get through our rough times together, yeah?" Chloe said with a smile as Max stood on her tip-toes to give Chloe a kiss.

"Goodnight, Che. I'll text you tomorrow if you want to come over."

"I have to come over tomorrow. I'm almost out, my two sports bottles are empty and I'm left wondering why the rum is gone," Chloe mused, getting a chuckle from Max.

"Aye, Captain Chloe Sparrow. I'll text you tomorrow, and you can come over…top yourself off," Max said with a wink before heading up the steps.

"You goddamn nerdy-assed tease!" Chloe called out with a laugh, Max waving before she closed the door behind her.

Locking the apartment door, Max slipped her boots off and hung her jacket on the coatrack as she pulled out her phone and shot Chloe a quick 'ILY' message before heading to the kitchen. Despite having fed before their game of capture the flag, Max was starving. Having gone on a hunting run last night after their sexiness at Chloe's little getaway spot, the freezer Max used for blood storage was thankfully stocked. Pulling her sports bottle out of the fridge, Max also snagged a jug from the freezer.

Downing the entire bottle, Max let out a satisfied "Aahhh" and refilled her sports bottle with the jug before setting both back where she'd gotten them. Feeling her phone go off, Max pulled it out as she headed to the bedroom to see a "no chat 4 u cuz u suk but ily2 cu tomorrow" text from Chloe and sniggered before tossing it on the bed. Stripping down to her underwear, Max slipped on her oversized t-shirt and powered on her laptop. Checking her email, updating her photography website by showing off some of her new shots from the clients she had yesterday, Max closed out of her internet and opened up her photo viewer so that she could go through the raw shots from yesterday.

Satisfied after a couple hours, the monotony of going through folder after folder of pictures and touching up the lighting or correcting any accidental distortions, Max looked down at the small time widget on her desktop and decided that it was time for her to get some sleep. Max disliked how erratic her sleeping patterns were as much as she figured Chloe did. Max knew when she had decided to move back to Arcadia Bay there would be adjustments in getting used to sleeping primarily at night rather than through most of the day. _2am…sleep till 8am…yeah, six hours should be okay_ , Max thought as she put her laptop and phone on the bedside table before curling up in her blankets and nodding off.

Bleary-eyed, Max woke from her blessedly dreamless slumber and glanced at her phone. Snatching it off the bedside table, she tapped at the screen and groaned at the time as it read 6:32am back at her. Max thought her phone was mean, telling her it was early with its big white text, but sighed when she knew she was being childish. Sitting up in bed, Max flicked at the screen until the chat bubble for Chloe opened up and began to type.

 **Max: You awake?**

 **Max: hellooooooooo**

 **Max: HEY!**

 **Chloe: WAT!? I was sleeping, asswipe**

 **Max: Sorry :(**

 **Chloe: NO EMOJI**

 **Chloe: uhhh sleep ughhhhhh**

 **Max: Sorry! :'(**

 **Chloe: What do u want, O Evil One Who Wakes Me?**

 **Max: Just miss you, wanted to hear from you**

 **Chloe: want me to come over? It is morning, my mom shuffling about out in the hall serves as proof**

 **Max: u don't have 2 go back 2 sleep**

 **Max: I feel bad nao**

 **Chloe: on my way**

 **Max: Che!**

 **Chloe: Max u don't have to ask me 2 come over**

 **Chloe: u will never have to ask me *heart***

 **Max: …okay *sadface***

 **Chloe: y do I put up with ur shit?**

 **Max: ily**

When Max didn't get a response she assumed that Chloe was getting dressed or maybe going to take a shower. Pulling the covers back over her head, Max felt at her face as she swore it was almost like she was blushing. She could remember how hot her face would feel, how silly she would get. While the heat was gone from her body, the warmth and giddiness she felt when it came to Chloe had only become stronger over the past couple months. Peeking out from the curtains, Max almost expected Chloe to be standing over the bed but was thankfully alone in the midst of her small bout of butterflies. When her phone went off, Max reached out for it so fast she nearly knocked her laptop off the bedside table in the process.

"Shit!" Max uttered as she caught the computer with her other hand before it could collide with the apartment floor. Sighing, Max gently placed the laptop back on the table and checked her phone. Eyes narrowing as she read the message a second time, Max gripped at her phone and felt the plastic creak slightly from the small amount of pressure before she pointedly tossed it on top of her dirty clothes. _I don't need that right now_ , Max said as she slid out of bed and shot her phone a dirty look.

 _I hope she's alright. Usually, texting and shit when someone's sleeping is kinda my gig_ , Chloe thought as she climbed up the steps two at a time. Knocking on the door, Chloe heard a cheery "Hang on!" and tried not to laugh as the sudden image of Max wearing an apron and making cookies popped into her head. Chloe bit her lip in frustration as the image turned into Max _only_ wearing the apron. Fixated on her own thoughts, Chloe was startled when Max opened the door and gave the absentminded blue-haired girl a hug.

"Agh!" Chloe shouted as she was snapped back to reality by two arms wrapping around her waist, looking down to see Max burying her face in Chloe's shirt as she laughed from Chloe's outburst, "Ha fucking _ha_ , Max. Laugh at my pain. I see how it is."

"I…I can't help it," Max choked out as she looked up at Chloe, "The l-look on your face. Wowsers, that was…there are no words. I wish I had my camera on me!"

Slapping at Max's shoulders, Chloe playfully tried to fight her way out of Max's grip only to be lifted up and brought into the apartment as Max backpedaled into the hallway. Grabbing the door and swinging it shut as Max slowly brought her inside, Chloe couldn't help but giggle at the idea of little Max Caulfield carrying her around like Chloe weighed almost nothing. _Sometimes it's little things like this that remind me how you're still the adorable crybaby I grew up with_ , Chloe thought as she looked down at Max with a heartfelt smile.

Seeing the look on Chloe's face, Max couldn't help but grin at the open expression of sweetness coming out of Chloe. When Max had come back to Arcadia Bay, Chloe had been bottled up and withdrawn. Max felt a small amount of pride at being able to coax Chloe out of her protective blue-haired shell, seeing more and more of the girl she'd fallen in love with years ago manifest behind the tattoo and the punk chic. Letting Chloe down, Max slid one hand up to grab Chloe by the collar of her jacket as she pulled the other girl down for a kiss.

"I needed that," Max said as she let go of Chloe's jacket, leaning her head onto the other girl's chest.

"D'awww, I missed you too. You're such a fucking nerd," Chloe said as she put her chin on top of Max's head, "What's the plan? It's barely seven in the morning, Max. You gonna keep me here all day?"

"Mayyyyybe. I'm hoping you have your empty bottles with you," Max said as she headed toward the kitchen, looking back to see the embarrassed look on Chloe's face, "Nice one, Che. You're the one who told me you were running on empty."

"Maybe it's a clever ploy so that I can come back again…," Chloe said, straining her face with a fake smile that just came off as cheesy to Max.

"Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, dingus."

Pouring out two cups from her supply in the freezer, Max handed one cup to Chloe and leaned against the counter while Chloe took the stool. Sipping at the concoction, Max felt a small shock of energy as she began to feel some vitality return to her wearied form. _This is how things should be. Me and Che, just relaxing together after waking up. We agreed to pace things more realistically, but sometimes I just want to lock her in here and never let her go. Still, a girl's got to have some space for herself._

"Dana called me," Chloe said as she set down her cup and wiped at a smeary mustache from her drink, "She's really itching to get some more work done on that tattoo, and I'm actually starting to feel bad about holding off. Do you think that I could try? Am I ready for that, being around human blood?"

"Hmm." Max thought back to her own experiences after she was turned, how she had been able to fight off the urge to feed on people almost immediately. _My…introduction to this life of mine didn't exactly encourage all of the new lifestyle choices, though. Chloe pretty much jumped in head-first, like she does with everything. Hmm…_

"Well?" Chloe's tone was insistent as she awaited Max's response. _I want to just up and say hella yes regardless, but this is Max's skill set and I would be inking out of…_ her _apartment so I want to fucking go about this properly._

"I don't have anything today except for another shoot with Taylor, so I _suppose_ Dana could come over. I'll be your adult supervision," Max said with a mischievous curl of her lips as she leaned across the counter to kiss Chloe on the nose. "I'm going to take a shower, so you might as well call Dana over and set up a time."

"When?" Chloe asked as she pulled out her phone.

"Whenever," Max replied as she closed the bathroom door behind her, leaving it open just a crack. _Max Caulfield, claustrophobic vampire-at-large._

Chloe swiped at her phone's screen only to knit her eyebrows together as the screen remained dark. Smashing the power button on top of the small electronic device, Chloe rolled her eyes as a low battery indicator flashed on her screen the screen returned to black. _Right. Of course you're dead. I need to make a call regarding a job, so it's only fair that you shut the fuck off_ , Chloe thought with an irritated groan as she looked at the cable port on the bottom of her phone.

"Max?" Chloe called out to the girl in the bathroom "Hey, can I use your phone? Mine's dead."

"Way to prioritize, Chloe. What are you, 5?" Max chided, Chloe visualizing the smirk on Max's face before thinking about Max in the shower and biting her lip. "Yeah, it's on my laundry."

"What happened this time?" Chloe asked as she walked to the bathroom door and rapped her fingers against it as she peeked through the small crack Max had left open, "You don't usually do that unless you're upset about something."

"…S'fine," Max said, Chloe picking up on the uncertainty in her fiancé's voice.

"Max Caulfield, you better share with me right now." Max heard Chloe retort, wincing at the slight edge in the blue-haired girl's voice. Peeking from around the shower curtain, Max saw a single blue eye peering at her from the darkened apartment.

"Peeper-creeper!" Max yelled as she pulled the shower curtain back and tilted the shower head towards the space where Chloe's eye was, "Get wrecked!"

Hearing Chloe cry out as a small torrent of water shot out of the slightly ajar bathroom door, Max laughed as she heard Chloe begin to yell a string of obscenities. _Victory!_

"Don't dodge the question, and don't call me a creeper only to pull back the whole shower curtain! Flasher! Public indecency is a punishable offense!" Chloe said through the open space, wiping at the water still dripping from her beanie.

"Just look at the phone and see for yourself, Chloe," Max said, Chloe hearing an audible little _humph_ , "I…I just don't want to talk about it. At least, not while I'm in the shower."

Eyeing the silhouette of Max through the shower curtain for a moment longer, Chloe slowly stepped back from the bathroom doorway and looked over at the phone sitting on top of Max's clothes. _Whatever has her upset, it must be something pretty fucking bad_ , Chloe thought as her lips thinned into a tight line. Reaching down, Chloe took the phone from the small pile of clothes and opened up the menu. Her finger hovering over the chat icon, Chloe shook her head and opened up the call menu instead. _She'll tell me when she wants to tell me…which'll be when I ask her after she's done showering_ , Chloe thought as she called Dana to schedule her in for the afternoon.

"Have you ever considered just up and leaving Arcadia Bay?" Max asked as she sat on the bed next to Chloe, the other girl lying back as she blew smoke rings from her joint, "You, me, just…just taking off and traveling?"

"Dude, I've thought about leaving this hick-hole all the fucking time. Max, is this coming up because of the text you won't tell me about?" Chloe asked, looking over at Max and poking the brunette in the side with a single finger, "I thought we are sharing now."

"We _are_ ," Max said, a slight whine to her voice as she slumped her shoulders.

"So share, hippie."

Chloe watched Max get up and reluctantly head over to where Chloe had put her phone. Tapping at the screen for a couple of seconds, Max tossed the phone at Chloe with a pained expression. Landing on Chloe's stomach, Chloe paused blowing smoke rings to reach down and take the phone with a worried look on her face. _Max looks hella anxious about whatever is in this message._

 **Stephen: We need to talk. Pick a place near town, and we'll meet you there at nightfall. Bring your mate.**

"I'm a 'mate'? Like, pirate-y mate or relationship-ish mate?" Chloe asked as she looked over at Max, "Sorry, Maxaroni. Just trying to lighten the mood. Come over here and tell your 'mate' all about it."

Max laid down next to Chloe and snuggled up beside her. Burying her face Chloe's arm, Max closed her eyes. She didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to _think_ about whatever was going on. Remembering the last time that Stephen and Maeve had both come down to see her, Max felt both embarrassed and angry. _I wish I hadn't acted the way I had, but what they asked of me was…_ is _…so wrong._

"I don't know what they want, Chlo," Max said as she slipped her fingers between Chloe's and closed her hand around her partner's, "I'm…I'm scared, Che."

"Whatever it is, Max, we'll face it together. I told you this already," Chloe said as she stubbed the joint into an ashtray on the floor, "I'm never leaving you."

Getting an anxious giggle from Max in reply, Chloe turned around so that she could pull Max into her arms. Feeling Max's face burrow into her neck, Chloe leaned her head down so that her chin was resting on Max's shoulder while wrapping the leg that wasn't pinned to the bed around Max's waist. Pulling Max in as tightly as she could, Chloe just held Max as both girls laid in each other's arms in silence while thoughts ran through their heads.

"Do you want me to cancel on Dana?" Chloe asked softly, shifting her weight around so that she could free her pinned arm in order to run her fingers through Max's hair, "She'll be hella irked, but I think I can deal with that."

"No, better not," Max muffled through Chloe's shirt, "When is she coming over?"

"A few hours."

Tapping Chloe on the chest to signal that she wanted out, Max propped herself up with an arm and looked down at Chloe. _She's so beautiful, the blue hair and her blue eyes. She's radiant, strong, with a heart that only I really get to see. She's my special dessert, hidden in angst-coated shell covered in tattoos and punk lyrics._ Leaning down, Max softly kissed her fiancé on the forehead before she got up from the bed. Hearing Chloe softly calling after her, Max hurriedly walked over to where she had left her camera bag and pulled out her Polaroid camera.

Chloe wondered what Max was up to as the little brunette vampire returned with a child-like smile on her face as she took Chloe's picture. Laughing as Max took another picture from the exact same spot, Chloe stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes back as the sound of instant film being developed came to her a third time. _My little photographer is up to something_ , Chloe thought as she watched Max shake her latest snapshot in the air.

"Does that actually help your photos?" Chloe asked, "I mean, I see you do it every time you use that thing."

"I think it's more habit at this point," Max replied with a shrug before looking down at her feet, "Che, I…I would…"

"Spit it out, nerd," Chloe chided, regretting her words when she saw the bashfully hurt look on Max's face, "Hey. I'm sorry, Max. You know I'm just fucking around. What is it?"

"I don't know what is going to happen tonight…and I can't help but feel this nagging worry in the back of my mind…"

"I can tell, Maxaroni. You seem, well, kinda high-strung right now," Chloe said, sitting up so that she could take Max's free hand in both of hers, "Tell me."

"I would…I would really l-like to take your picture," Max stuttered out, looking up at Chloe with her head remaining downcast.

"You just _did_ , Max," Chloe said with a smirk, a little puzzled.

"I mean professionally, like with my equipment in the living room and everything. The lighting, my studio camera, all of it," Max said with no small amount of enthusiasm, taking Chloe by surprise with the sudden light in her eyes, "I want to do a photoshoot with _you_."

Chloe felt floored by Max's request. She watched Max work on her photos all the time, had even been around for some of the shoots Max did with her clients. Chloe had never considered that Max would want to do the same with her. _She's fucking playing around…no, that look. Holy shitballs, she's for real._

"Max, I'm no model. You want…you want people who are actually down for that kinda shit-"

"Chloe," Max implored, looking down at the still-seated bluenette, " _Please_."

"You're serious."

" _Hella._ "

"Um, alright…?"

Chloe barely registered Max scooping her up, her brain trying to process the idea of Max taking her pictures like she was a model. _This is so goddamn weird. I'm not sure I wanna do this. Max. Max, I'm not-_ , Chloe thought before she melted as Max kissed her, soft lips derailing her train of thought as her heart collided with her brain from Max's touch.

Max went through all of Chloe's clothes that were still in the apartment, then sifted through her own wardrobe to find something that would _maybe_ fit Chloe. Collecting what she thought would look good on Chloe, Max scooped all the clothes into her arms and walked back into the living room area. Dumping the clothing onto the couch, Max peered over at her anxious muse, Chloe biting her lip as she glanced toward the hallway nervously.

"Chloe Price, don't you _dare_ run away!" Max boomed, satisfied as Chloe stiffened and looked straight forward in response to her commanding tone. "You do this for me and I'll…I'll make you a cake."

"The cake is a lie, Max," Chloe replied from the chair. _Max in an apron…unfff_ … "Promise me cookies and sexy, you have a deal." _Max. Apron. Sexy. Now._

"Uh, okay," Max shook her head as she saw the sudden faraway look on Chloe's face. "Earth to Chloe? Uh, hey!"

Chloe came out of her daydream with a snap of Max's fingers, looking at the brunette in alarm. Afraid she might have given something away, Chloe smiled and let loose with a forced laugh as she walked over to the clothes Max had grabbed while Max readied her equipment. _Umm, I've never…shit, I have no fucking clue as to what I should pick. Does she want me to dress up? Does she want me to…ugh!_

"Max, I don't know what I'm doing," Chloe admitted, turning to look at Max sullenly. Holding her arm awkwardly as she bit her lip, Chloe looked up in embarrassment to see a Max return her glance with an affectionate grin. _Help me, Obi-Max Kenobi. You're my only fucking hope, dude._

Walking over to a bashful Chloe and a pile of clothes, Max started to organize everything as her blue-haired fiancé watched. Separating the clothing into three categories – bottoms, shirts, and flannels - Max had managed to create a couple of outfits before her attention was diverted by a knock at the door. Giving Chloe a knowing stare, mouthing _This isn't over_ , Max walked over to the door with an irked expression as she heard Chloe audibly sigh in relief.

"Hey, Taylor!" Max said upon opening the door, "Come in! I thought our shoot was in a couple hours. It is, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I had nothing else going on," Taylor said as she looked at Max apologetically, "Is it cool if I just hang here until then? I don't want to interrupt anything…"

"Actually, I could use an assistant right now," Max let her voice carry, satisfied by the sound of Chloe gasping and muttering "Shit!"

Leading Taylor down the hallway, Max motioned over at a despondent Chloe and Taylor grinned as she saw what Max was up to. Giggling in excitement with a wide-eyed smile, Taylor ran over to Chloe and immediately began to take stock of the attire that Max had laid out. Max followed the exuberant blonde slowly, taking the time to stick her tongue out at Chloe with neither of the other girls being the wiser. _Gotcha now, you butt!_

"Maaaaxxxx…" Chloe cried, her mouth fixed in a pout as Taylor slowly turned the bluenette around before laying a shirt tentatively across Chloe's shoulders, "Help."

"Oh, you're so cute," Taylor said with a grin before turning her head to look over at Max, "Is this how she is when it's just the two of you?"

"Actually, she did something really sweet the other night, something incredibly-"

"Max Caulfield!" Chloe snapped, cutting Max off only to receive a giggle from Max in return as the brunette flashed her a wink and a smile. _You do_ not _get to talk about that. To anyone. Ever._

"Okay, so how about this tank with _these_ jeans?" Taylor said, setting out a green tank-top with a black-inked image of The Clash's _London Calling_ cover stenciled on it and one of Chloe's pairs of torn black jeans. "Max, what about the shoes?"

"Uh, she's just got a pair of boots here," Max said, shrugging as she jerked her thumb towards the hallway from her perch on the couch armrest opposite Chloe. Seeing Taylor scurry over to the hallway, Max took in the worried look on Chloe's face and sat next to her love. "You…you _don't_ have to do this, Che. I don't really say this, it always feels obvious to me, but you're so beautiful."

"…Go on," Chloe said, looking at Max from the corner of her eyes, head still downcast. _She called me 'beautiful'. Me. Oh my god._

"Your hair, those deep blue eyes of yours, and the paleness of your skin. Add to that the wine-colored lips of your…new medical condition. You're like a living piece of poetry. I have to capture the emotions that you put out, Che. I want to photograph you as my appreciation for how beautiful and lovely you are, outside and in," Max said with a soft tone before leaning in to give her teary-eyed fiancé a kiss, "Ohhh, don't cry. Please don't cry, Che. I'll tell Taylor we can go on-"

"No," Chloe said, cutting off Max as she grabbed the brunette's wrist and sniffled, "No one…no one has ever said anything like that to me before…no one…"

"Well, now someone has, Che. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and I'm the luckiest woman…'alive'…?"

Both girls giggled before looking over to see Taylor watching them, her hands to her mouth as she began to get teary-eyed as well. Max got up with a sheepish grin on her face and walked over to Taylor, asking her if she was okay, only to get nearly tackled from Taylor giving her a hug. Waving Chloe over, Taylor wrapped her other arm around Chloe and didn't notice the look of extreme confusion on Chloe's face.

"Uh, I didn't even think you acknowledged my existence, blondie," Chloe said as she awkwardly patted Taylor's back while looking across Taylor's shoulders at Max, "This is hella weird…"

"You're…you're just so goddamn _cute_ ," Taylor said, tightening her hold on the two vampires for a moment before letting them go, "And for the record, I am _not_ Victoria's bitch, Chloe. Of course I know who you are; we just ran in different social circles. That's it. You weren't exactly social last year."

Trying not to laugh at Chloe's bonding moment with a member of the Vortex Club, Max picked up the boots from where they had fallen next to Taylor. Walking over to the laid-out clothing, Max coughed to get the other girls' attention just before Taylor could scoop Chloe into another hug. Seeing Chloe mouth _Thank you, Max!_ as she followed behind Taylor, Max smirked as she lifted up the first outfit that Taylor had set up.

Max watched the image counter increase one by one as she took shot after shot of Chloe in various poses, Taylor standing just off-frame with a pensive look on her face as she watched Max's process in action. Looking up every now and then to give Chloe direction, Max would walk from edge of the white tarp that was on the floor to the other edge. Staying out of the lighting herself to avoid casting any shadow on her subject, Max would shoot Chloe a quizzical look only to lift her camera back up to her face and take another shot. Seeing Chloe grin, Max couldn't help but smile back as she saw her fiancé begin to get into the experience, sticking her tongue out as she gave Max double devil-horns.

Blue hair covering Chloe's eyes she lifted her arms up only to put them behind her back, Chloe looked like the cover of a tattoo magazine to Max as she slowly let Chloe choose her own direction. _Chloe Chic. She's a natural and she didn't even know it._ Stopping for a moment, Max looked in amazement at the image counter. _Wowsers. Half the card is taken up!_ Beaming at a playful Chloe, the bluenette dancing by herself in front of the white backdrop hanging against a wall, Max walked up to her muse and gave Chloe a passionate kiss.

Max held onto Chloe, her hand arm wrapped around so that her hand was pressed against the small of Chloe's back as they continued kissing. Hearing an "Awww!" from Taylor, Max couldn't help but laugh mid-kiss with Chloe soon joining her in bouts of laughter. _Nobody's seen Chloe happy like this, probably not in years. Showtime, Max!_ Quickly stepping back while Chloe was still laughing with a huge smile on her face, Max quickly began taking shots. Moving from side to side, changing the angle with nearly every click of the button, Max blew through a dozen or so pictures before Chloe stopped laughing.

Chloe flopped down on the couch, patting her pockets before finding her lighter. Putting a cigarette to her lips, Chloe ran her hair through her fingers as she lit up and took in a long drag. Watching Max now begin to take shots of Taylor, Chloe marveled at seeing the brunette at work. _I never really thought about how much fun Max had actually doing this. Sure, I knew that she thought it was fun but I never actually saw her having fun while taking these types of pictures. Is she like that with everyone, or is it_ just _me_? Chloe sat in thought as she slowly puffed away at her cigarette, glancing casually at the clock before realizing that Dana would be at the apartment soon. Springing out of the couch, Chloe quietly walked over to where her miniature tattoo parlor was and began to set everything up. Hearing Max stop, Chloe peeked over her shoulder to see Taylor look in her direction.

"Uh, yeah?" Chloe asked, her cigarette dangling in her mouth, "What's up?"

"You do tattoo, and Max is a photographer," Taylor said with a smirk on her face, "This place is like a tiny artist's commune or something."

All three girls chuckled as someone knocked at the door. Chloe ran over to the hallway, taking the long way around to avoid distracting Max, opening the door to let a surprisingly forlorn Dana inside. The look on the pretty brunette's face making Chloe herself worry, she led Dana inside and escorted her to where the tattoo station was situated. Hearing Max wrap things up with Taylor, Chloe asked for Dana to take her top off and lay down before deciding to ask what was on the girl's mind.

"You okay?" Chloe asked, seeing the faint worry line on Dana's face.

"…It's Kate," Dana said, surrendering after only a single question, "We…we hit a snag."

"Uh-oh," Chloe heard Max say as she walked over to join them, sipping at her sports bottle before offering it to Chloe. "What happened?"

"Her mother happened. A 'surprise visit'. She…she walked in on us kissing." Dana moped as she told her friends the story. "She said the usual B.S., 'a phase' and 'experiment' in various combinations. Kate stood her ground, for a while…"

"Then what?" Max asked as she took her bottle back from Chloe, the brunette wiping a small drop of red from the corner of her lip. _Thank Dog Dana is lying down and facing away from both of us. 'Oh. Blood? I think I'll be going!'_

"Kate started to cry, so I spoke up. It turned into a shouting match, ending with Kate kicking both of us out of her room. I tried texting her, calling her, but she won't answer. I know that we've only just started dating, but my worry is also coming as her friend," Dana said with a sigh, shivering as Chloe cleaned the outline that was already tattooed.

"You want me to message her?" Max asked before all three girls froze as a faint knock came from the door.

"Kate," Chloe said, pausing as she set out her inks, "Dana, you want me to hold off in case it _is_ her?"

"No, I'm already here and I'm not going to play hide-and-seek," Dana said as she looked over to give Chloe a small grin.

Hearing the buzz of Chloe's tattoo gun as she started to work on Dana, Max walked over to the door and cracked it open to see Kate standing outside. Opting to come outside than cause a potential conflict by letting Kate in, Max closed the door behind her and gave Kate a hug. Sitting down on the landing, Max motioned for Kate to join her as she kicked her dangling legs.

"You okay?" Max asked, seeing Kate's red eyes, "Crying, I'm guessing."

"My mom came for a visit…and things got pretty heated," Kate said as she joined Max, "I…I feel bad, Max. Dana stood up for me, _in front of my mom_ , and I got so angry at both of them that I kicked them out of my room. I'm so embarrassed!"

"…Um, Dana's inside, getting her tattoo worked on by Chloe. She kinda told us what happened," Max confessed, feeling sorry for her friend as the frown on Kate's face seemed to grow in intensity. "Did your mom know…I mean, shit, have you come out to your family…?"

"M-my dad knew," Kate said as she leaned herself against Max's shoulder, taking the offered hand of her friend, "We agreed to just not talk about it with my mom, though. I wanted to wait until I felt ready. Well, she knows _now_! She's probably already yelling at my dad or crying over me to my aunt!"

"Kate…do you think that your mom would ever be willing to accept, well, who you are and not who she wants you to be?" Max asked as she wrapped her arm around Kate's shoulder, "Ugh, I'm wording this hella wrong…"

"Heh, Chloe's rubbing off on you," Kate said, her voice breaking between chuckles, "I don't know, Max. I just don't know. The Bible says that we should love our neighbor and that we should 'do unto others as you would have done unto you'. How can someone who prays every morning and night not understand that love doesn't need to have limits?"

"The important thing is that _you_ respect yourself, Kate. Don't let what other people think impact who you are as a person. If you want, I could pick a fight for you," Max said, looking over to see the desired effect of Kate giggling.

"Oh yeah, Max, because you look _so_ tough. 'Come at me, bruh' or whatever," Kate said with an eyeroll as she nestled her head onto Max's shoulder, "Can we go inside? I think I would like to see my girlfriend, if she's willing to see _her_ jerk of a girlfriend."

Taking a break from filling in Dana's tattoo, she sat on the stool of her workshop with a beer in her hand as she heard the door open and close. Looking over her shoulder, Chloe watched with an optimistic smile as Max led Kate inside. _She is hella sweet. Kate's mom doesn't realize how totally blessed she is. Whatev – girl's a fucking angel._ Hearing Dana let out a slight gasp as Kate walked into her line of sight, Chloe opted to give the two girls some privacy and headed over to her own partner-in-crime.

"You're fucking adorable," Chloe said as she walked up to the kitchen counter, seeing Max grin while turned away from her, "I bet you give hella epic pep talks. You should ditch the photography world, be a motivational speaker."

"That would be _way_ too awkward for me," Max said with a snigger as she eyed Chloe's beer with a grossed-out face, "It's barely past noon, Chloe. Bleghh. Anyway, I don't think that I could make it, all those people staring at me while I'm on a stage. I'd probably start to cry, let alone the horror of possibly crying bloody tears in front of a packed room."

"The world suffers another loss," Chloe said with a shrug before downing the rest of her beer, "I'm managing, by the way. With the inking and the bloodiness. Feel redonkulous amounts of hunger, but I'm doing okay."

"That's great, Che!" Max beamed at Chloe as she affectionately put a hand on the bluenette's arm, "We should get a quick drink before they end their pow-wow."

"Uh, I don't think it'll be ending anytime soon, Maxaroni. I get the impression I'm done with Dana's tat for the day," Chloe said, nodding over towards Dana and Kate as Max watched Kate kneel in front of the prone Dana still lying on the massage table.

Staying in the kitchen until Kate came over with Dana, Max and Chloe offered to order something for all of them to eat only to be politely refused by Kate. Sliding her hand into Kate's, Dana promised Chloe that she would come by soon to get the rest of her tattoo done before she was playfully yanked towards the hallway by a smiling Kate. Leaning her head onto Chloe's shoulder, Max couldn't help but feel more optimistic about everything when she saw the shared looks between Kate and Dana. The idea of her friends' happiness transmuted onto Max's perception of the happiness she felt with Chloe.

"Che, I was thinking…" Max said as she nuzzled herself into Chloe's arm, "I have a proposition for you."

"My truck can make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs, I swear," Chloe mused, chuckling before seeing the thoughtful look on Max's face, "Sorry. Couldn't help it. You were thinking…?"

"Well, forget it now. You killed my buzz. You are a buzzkill, Chloe Price," Max said, sticking her nose in the air with a _humph_ only to peer at Chloe from the corner of her eye as she broke into a grin. "If you'd like, you can come over next week and stay a few nights. A trial run, I guess?"

"I can move back?!" Chloe said, turning around to look at Max so fast that the brunette stumbled at the loss of her Chloe-shaped leaning post.

"Cerealy, Che?" Max asked as she gained her balance, "Like I said, a _trial run_. You can stay over for a few nights next week. We'll see how it goes, and move on from there. Baby steps, Che. Baby steps."

Chloe lifted Max off the ground and spun her fiancé around with a look of utter happiness on her face, Max bursting into a fit of laughter as Chloe kept spinning her around. The girls were so consumed in their shared bliss that they didn't notice the knock at the door until it became a pounding. Setting Max down on her feet, Chloe sauntered into the hallway with a silly grin on her face as she walked up to the door.

"Go away, guys! We're having a hella cool moment!" Chloe said, her smile fading as she looked down the hall to see the dour expression on Max's face. _Uh, what's going on?_

"Max, ye need to let us in," a woman said from outside the door, her Irish accent partly managing to hide her nervousness. "Max! C'mon already! Ye have visitors!"

Chloe stepped aside and moved to situate herself behind Max as the smaller of the two opened the door. Both promptly backpedaled a couple paces at the sight of Stephen and Maeve standing on the landing, somber faces on both of the twins. Immediately sensing the ominous quality of their appearance, Chloe concentrated and popped out her fangs, eyes shining a bright violet. Looking down, Chloe saw Max restrain herself and maintain a forced calm. _Girl may be trying to not go bat-shit, but_ they _said 'outside town'. Newsflash, Max – our apartment is totally not fucking outside Arcadia Bay! Get your fight face on!_

"You said we were to meet outside town," Max said, her tone even while not blinking an eye.

"Ye weren't pickin' up yer phone, Max," Maeve said, her arms splayed out at her sides in apology, "We dinna come 'ere to fight. We came to talk…and we brought some company, unfortunately."

Max's fangs shot out with force at the sight of Sheffield and Montrose walking up the steps, her eyes blazing so brilliantly violet that it looked to Chloe as though Max's eyes were on fire. Hearing a low growl emanate from her fiancé, Chloe felt a growl come up from her own throat with a bit of surprise. _Uh, wonder vamp powers activate?_

"Y'see?" Maeve said to the two vampires as the made their way to the landing, "Y'see! She's a Maker, so you can't just lock her the fook away, let alone _kill_ her! B'sides, if you go fer her, ye come through _us_!" Maeve said, her and her brother standing on either side of the doorway in defiance of the other two vampires. _But I was so shitty to you two,_ Max thought as she saw Stephen look over his shoulder to wink at her, _Guys, I'm pretty sure I love you both._

"Miss Caulfield," Sheffield said in a politely calm tone, "We have been asked to come here as representatives of the local authority based in the Northwest. May we come in? I promise, you are not under any threat."

Giving Sheffield a wary eye, Max stepped to the doorway and tugged at Stephen and Maeve's sleeves, whispering "Thank you" as she let them both inside. Begrudgingly, Max let Sheffield in afterwards before spooking Montrose with a hiss so that he jumped a bit. Not bothering to invite him, Max turned around and walked inside, hearing the other vampire slowly walk inside. Entering the apartment, Max offered the couch to Maeve, Stephen, and Sheffield. Sitting on the armrest of the chair, Max patted the seat and Chloe quickly walked over to sit next to her fiancé, the girls holding hands as they eyed their company. Looking over her shoulder at Montrose as he anxiously leaned against the entrance to the hallway, Max smirked and bared her fangs. _Fucking chickenshit._

"First, let me apologize for the actions of my predecessor," Sheffield said, steepling his fingers as he calmly spoke, "Antony was…well, he was more of a brute than I. Maeve and Stephen relayed to me in Seattle how events unfolded according to what you have told them, and I wish to apologize."

Max sat stock still, keeping absolutely quiet as Chloe looked up at her, Chloe joining Max in her silence. Coughing to break the awkwardness, Maeve looked over to see Sheffield looking directly at Max and Chloe.

"I understand the reasoning behind your rejection of being a Maker, Ms. Caulfield. I-" Sheffield was cut off by a harsh snort from Max.

"You don't understand _shit_."

"Again," Sheffield started back up, "I apologize. I have heard from your friends _how_ you were turned. That is not the way we typically have a person turned, I assure you. Needless to say, a cruel thing was done to you. I can see why you would reject everything about your own kind, given the circumstances."

Chloe watched Max acknowledge the guy who was talking with a curt nod and retraction of her fangs. Chloe followed suit, wincing as her fangs came back in before she saw Stephen wink at her with a small grin. _Uh, did I just get cheered for being able to rein my fangs back in? Dude, I know I'm pretty much a baby at this, but Jesus fuck._

"While Antony was acting under the authority of his peers back in Europe, an accord has been made in reference to you…Max. May I call you Max?" Sheffield asked, continuing when he saw Max nod a second time, "Good. Honestly, I hate the formality of all this. Appearances must be kept, however, and I digress. No further attempts on your person will occur so long as you meet _two_ conditions.

"What are these conditions, dude?" Chloe blurted out, looking up to see a small grin play across Max's face. Chloe felt embarrassed as Max then leaned down and mouthed _Hush_ with a loving smile as she gently kissed Chloe's cheek before returning her attention to the guy talking. _I know the names of three people in here beside my own damn name. Who's the guy Max is talking to? Who's the guy…is he cowering? Whoa, dude looks hella nervous. This Max's 'Ripper' shit? Huh, lady's got a better rep than me. Fuck._

"The first is far simpler than the second. You must not kill another vampire. Considering that your previous kills were in self-defense, I was able to get Antony's superiors to back the fuck off. This isn't England, it's the Northwest and therefore you are under _my_ protection," Sheffield said as he curled his lip while looking at Montrose, " _They_ can be somewhat…antiquated at times. If you fight someone again, Max, don't fucking kill them."

"The second?" Max asked, watching Stephen and Maeve exchange nervous glances.

"I feel that you and I should step outside for that discussion. If you would be willing to hear me out further."

Chloe watched as Max sat in thought, tapping at her chin with an index finger as she seemed to be faraway in her own mind. Not having a clue what could be going through Max's head at the moment, Chloe thought the way Max talked about her life on the run and how she wished it could all just stop. _Even coming here, Max was still hiding. Yeah, she came for me and to be somewhere familiar, but she also came here because nobody knew about her life before she was turned. I can't imagine what this dude is offering must be like for Max. She's spent almost every day since being turned on the fucking run, and now she can finally stop._

"…Alright, let's talk," Max suddenly spoke, letting go of Chloe's hand as she gestured toward the hallway. Chloe watched her fiancé wait for the guy who had been talking before they headed down the hallway together. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable by herself, Chloe began to fidget with her hands as she heard the door close behind them as Max went outside with one of their guests.

"Chloe, right?" Maeve asked the quite blue-haired girl as she leaned forward in her seat on the couch, looking over to see her brother Stephen nod, "Y'know, yer a lucky girl. When Max stayed with us, she would cry out to you in her sleep. Poor lass, such fookin' nightmares."

"She'd cry for me?" Chloe asked, her tone soft as she lifted her head up to look at the siblings, "Did she..did she ever talk about me, too?"

"All th' time, lass. Got to admit, you were sometimes annoyin' as fuck when she wouldn't stop goin' on," Maeve continued with a chuckle, "But it was always obvious to me an' mine here that she was yours long before she joined our ranks. I'm happy for ye both."

Hesitating a moment, Chloe got up from the chair and approached the couch. Feeling some of the tension pass as Stephen patted on the seat between himself and his sister, Chloe slowly took a seat and leaned back into the cushions.

"Y'know, this is my family's old couch. My mom gave it to us as a kinda housewarming gift," Chloe blurted out, shaking her head at the first thing she brought up being furniture, "Hey, have you ever tried moonshine?"

Max came back inside feeling somewhat numb, but also somewhat relieved. She could finally stop, not have to look over her shoulder for fear that any moment could bring new trouble. _Any trouble that pops up could actually be of my own doing. Well, probably more Chloe's, but still. I'd…I'd be free. Kinda_. Shaking Sheffield's hand, Max smiled at the generosity that she was being given by the gentleman before her.

"Y'know, if I knew you were my overlord I'd have baked a cake," Max joked, getting a low chuckle from the other person.

"Well, I think I will take seeing you in action outside of town as my compensation. While I don't condone violence, there was a…savage beauty to your viciousness," Sheffield said, getting a quirked eyebrow from Max in response, "Sorry. I'm something of a fan."

Walking back into the apartment with Sheffield closely behind, Max shook her head as she watched Chloe pass around a bottle of moonshine amongst herself, Stephen, and Maeve. The three laughing and snorting on the couch between mouthfuls of the liquor, none of them noticed Max and Sheffield had come back inside until Montrose coughed loudly. Chloe's head snapping up, she saw the tiny upturn of the corner of Max's mouth and came running over to hug her fiancé.

"Did you win?" Chloe asked, her speech a little slurred as she pulled back to look at Max with a gleeful smile.

"Uh…" Max said, looking at Sheffield who in turn gathered his companions before they headed out the door.

Getting long hugs from a drunk Maeve and an even drunker Stephen, Max led them all out the door. Eyeballing Montrose before closing the door, Max bared her fangs one last time at the anxious vampire and locked the door. Retracting her fangs, Max took a moment and leaned against the door as she fought to bring the evening's events into clarity. _Condition Number Two. If I do it, I'm free. I'm free, Chloe's free, and I can_ finally _show Chloe the world as I've seen it. No more running, no more hiding. But…ugh, Condition Number Two._

Hearing footsteps coming towards her from behind, Max smiled as she felt Chloe's arms wrap around her. Making a purring sound, Max lifted her hand to pull of Chloe's beanie and play with her love's blue hair.

"Hey," Chloe said softly, kissing Max's neck, "Good news?"

"'Hey' back at you, Max said, smiling at the feeling of Chloe's wet lips on her neck, " _Mostly_ good news."

Turning herself around in Chloe's arms, Max stood on her tip-toes and kissed Chloe on the lips before uncoupling Chloe's hands. Leading the bluenette into the living room, Max took a seat at the couch and grabbed the bottle of moonshine. Watching Chloe plop down next to her, Max smirked as she tilted the bottle back and took a few mouthfuls of the liquor. _I might need a buzz if I'm going to tell Chloe._

"So…? What's the other condition? You have to turn someone every two decades or something? A century, what?" Chloe asked, bouncing in her seat.

"No, it's not like that. He told me-" Max started.

"Who _is_ that guy? I didn't even get his name, dude!" Chloe cut Max off, muttering "Sorry" when she saw the displeased look Max gave her.

" _He_ , evidently, is the boss or ruler or whatever of the Northwest. He keeps the peace or some other crap," Max said with a sigh, "I'm not interested in their politics. What he said is that aside from turning one other person, I might never have to turn anyone else after. I'm not the only Maker, and they are concerned about my being 'so young'."

"So what's the second condition, then? Must be pretty hardcore, having to go outside all ominously and shit," Chloe said with a snort, oblivious to the sadness on Max's face.

"I…I…," Max started to speak, words caught in her throat.

"C'mon, Max! What is it?" Chloe asked, her excitement dissipating when she saw how still Max was, "Max? Maxaroni, what is it? What's wrong?"

"…I have to turn someone _here_ , in Arcadia Bay, within the next 48 hours."

"…Oh fuck."

 **Author's Note – A return to angst, with a promise of future violence! Max and Chloe's freedom for someone else's life! Suspense! Intrigue! Romance! Vio-fucking-lence!**

 **Who will be turned? Who will get their ass kicked? Will Warren ever get a girlfriend in this fic? (The answer is 'Hella no!', according to Vampire Chloe)**

 **Yes, I threw my LGBTQPIA activism in there. Yes, I used Bible references to support how people shouldn't judge others unless they want to be judged. No, I'm not a Christian – I'm a Wiccan.**

 **I think that says something when a Wiccan can use Bible quotes to push positivity toward LGBTQPIA issues. ;P**

 **Read, review, and I'll see you for 24!**

 **Stay Hella, Cinnamon Rolls! You're all just too pure for this world, Goddamnit!**


	24. Chapter 24 - Conclusion

**Say You'll Haunt Me**

 **Song by Stone Sour**

 **Bring the Kleenex back out for this, the final chapter!**

 **2010**

"If I had known he would use a drug to bring you, I might have killed him myself," Henri said as she looked at the melancholic girl sitting a ways away from him on the roof they were currently occupying.

Seattle expanded before their eyes all the way to the horizon, a city bathed in its own twinkling blanket of light. Max didn't say anything in reply to the guy who had introduced himself as Henri to her a few days ago. Sitting with her knees folded against her chest, Max just wanted to be left alone. Disheveled and dirty, Max's clothes were still spattered with blood and there was a dried smear of blood on her chin from where she had fed the night she had been reborn. _Is it reborn, turned, or fucked over?_ Max thought as her depression continued, the shock of _how_ she had been turned nearly blocked out of thought altogether.

Lifting her head up so that her eyes were positioned just over the height of her knees, Max watched with dim interest as Seattle's nightlife continued on. _It was just supposed to be a party. An escape from being such a shy, cliché geek. I wanted…I wanted to fit in for once. Just the one time, I wanted to not feel like such an oddity. Now, I'm_ the _oddity…_

"…Girl?" Henri asked as he heard a cackling, somewhat maniacal giggle erupt from the brunette girl. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Max with her eyes wide open and a mad grin on her face as she openly wept. "You need to calm, child. You haven't fed in days, and you really _do_ need to eat at this-"

" _Don't tell me what to do! You're part of why I'm…why I'm like this!_ " Max spat back, taking Henri by surprise as her eyes shown with a diabolical menace. Hearing a squeaking noise from above her head, Max looked up to see a rat crawling across the roof of the small doorway that led back into the condemned apartment complex they were squatting in. Leaping up from her seated position, Max snatched the rat off of its tiny limbs and sunk her teeth into its flesh. She heard Henri gag but didn't care; she _was_ hungry and she didn't want to eat another person _ever_. She could still remember the glazed eyes of the homeless man as Henri bent over him after snapping his neck, beckoning for Max to join him. _So…hungry…_ had been Max's only thought at that time, covered in gore and some brackish goo that she couldn't remember getting hit with.

"That's fucking disgusting," Henri said with a cringe as Max responded by throwing the drained rat in his direction, "Cut it out, you little shit! Grow up!"

"I _can't_ , asshole!" Max snapped back, her lips curled in a sneer as she hobbled on her weak legs toward the man sitting on the roof's edge, "I'm going to be fucking 15 for the rest of whatever the hell this is! I'm stuck as a goddamn teenager forever!"

Breaking into another fit of crying, Max growled and ran as fast as she could toward the roof's edge. She felt a moment of peace come over her as the rough surface of the building left the soles of her feet. _I wouldn't wish this on anybody, and now I won't ever have to. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I'm…I'm sorry, Chloe._ Max fell about five feet before she felt a sharp tug as Henri grabbed at her by the back of her blood-stained hoodie. Thrashing about to try and wriggle herself out of the jacket, Max screamed as she was tossed back onto the rooftop. Running toward the opposite end of the roof, Max made it only a few paces before she felt a hand come across her face so fast that it knocked her onto her back.

"I said stop this foolishness!" Henri roared at her, crouching down to look at the sullen-faced girl. "You cannot behave like this, child. You simply _can't_. If someone were to find out that you had been turned and were behaving in such a manner…you would _not_ like the alternative to having what freedoms you are currently using. Now… _sit._ "

Propping herself up on her elbows, Max muttered "Fuck you" under her breath as she hoisted herself up into a seated position. Crossing her legs, Max glared at Henri as he sat across from her in the same fashion and watched her. _Is that compassion? Where was the caring when I was being bled dry, prick? Will you call my parents, tell them that I'm sick or that I died? Will you pay respects to an empty grave? What about Chloe? Dog, what the fuck about Chloe?_

"What?" Max asked, uttering the word slowly as she turned her head to stare at Henri from the corner of her eye.

"Let me teach you."

"Uh, _what_?"

"There are things you must learn, being what you are now. Things that are vital for you to survive."

"Why should I give you even an ounce of trust? Weren't you going to feed on me?"

"…There is no going back, child. Only forward."

Max sat and stared at Henri for what felt like an hour to her. Looking over his shoulder, Max saw the blinking lights of Seattle's tall office buildings in the distance and wondered how it would feel to jump from one of them, to fly in a nosedive towards whatever release came with such a move. Looking back at the man's face, Max weighed her options. In truth, she didn't want to die. _Die again, I guess_. She just wasn't sure she wanted to live. _Maybe…maybe I could at least give whatever this is a shot…_

"Fine," Max huffed as she rolled her eyes and leaned back onto the palms of her hands, "No more roof diving. I _won't_ eat people, though, just so that is on the table."

"It's a start," Henri said, letting a small sigh of relief escape his lips and smirked as he watched Max shoot him a sardonic grin from his relieved state.

 **2013**

"I'm actually hella surprised you're considering this, Maxaroni," Chloe said as she leaned against the kitchen counter, looking across the apartment as a seated Max Caulfied put her head in her hands on the living room couch, "Isn't that your final no-no? I mean, _I_ hold myself as a special case-"

"Oh, you're 'special'." Max's tone, despite its sarcasm, couldn't hide the fear in her slightly quivering voice.

"-but _intentionally_ making someone what we are seems a stretch for the girl who kinda hates being this way. Did they even give you a person they _wanted_ turned, a list of people who might throw down alongside us?" Chloe sipped at a beer as she waited for Max to respond.

"Nope. The point is for me to consciously make the decision to turn someone, Chloe. _I_ pick who, _I_ pick where, and I have 48 hours to do so before Sheffield returns for evidence of my…'compliance'," Max said, a dread in her voice obvious, "I don't know what's worse, Che, the part of me that hates this whole situation or the part of me that wants to do it so that _I_ can be free to be with you. I get a chance to really live again, Chloe. _Really_ live. No more hiding, no more squatting in decrepit buildings. We can see the world, together, in peace."

"You're already with me, Max, so you don't have to fucking worry about that" Chloe said, an awkward smile on her face as she halfheartedly attempted to get a smile out of the distraught brunette.

"You know what I mean," Max said, turning her head to look over at Chloe with tired blue eyes, "I…I need more _time_ to figure all this out. I need some time to myself to think this through."

Chloe set her beer down and walked over from the kitchen to sit beside Max on the couch. Putting a hand on Max's lap reassuringly, the blue-haired girl gave her fiancé a soft kiss on the cheek before nuzzling her nose into said cheek.

"You know I've got your back, Max Attack," Chloe said with a smile as she hooked Max's chin and pulled her so that they were looking at each other face-to-face, "If you need me to piss off I can. Just say the word, babe."

"I think I would like to just lie in bed. I could use some cuddling, though." Max said, her eyes despondent as she grasped at Chloe's top and clung to the fabric while burying her face into the bluenette's chest, "Can we just sleep? Like, sleep until tomorrow is over? Maybe even the next day? I…I'm just so hella _tired_ , Che. Tired of all of the bullshit."

Prying Max's hands from her shirt, Chloe gently scooped Max up and lifted the smaller girl into her arms. Carrying her to the bed, Chloe laid Max down before slipping her clothes off to join her fiancé. Sliding under the bedding, Chloe felt Max undress while tucked away, their pale skin making contact with each other as Chloe wrapped herself around Max. Kissing the nape of her lover's neck, Chloe felt Max begin to sob and wrapped her arms around Max's shoulders. Pressing the depressed girl to her even tighter, Chloe whispered sweet words of support into Max's ear. She would never leave Max, not ever. With everything that had happened since Max returned, with everything they had been through, their bond had only grown stronger and Chloe was ready to die for Max if need be just as she knew Max would do the same in kind.

"Forever," Chloe whispered as she felt Max's shuddering begin to lessen.

"…Forever."

 _Max was nine, fooling around in the school playground when some of the kids in her class came up to her in the sandbox. Playing with a Tonka truck that Chloe had let her borrow, Max wasn't even paying attention until the first small fist smashed into the side of her head. Falling onto her side, tears instantly welled up as she began to cry from both the pain and the suddenness of the violence._

 _"W-Why did you h-hit me?" Max asked as her lip quivered, "W-why?"_

 _"You tattled on us! You told the teacher that we were taking things out of the other kids' lunchboxes!" the boy who hit her yelled, "Tattler! Tattle-tale!"_

 _"B-But I didn't! I-I saw but I di-didn't say anything!"_

 _"She's a snoop!" a girl among the group of kids standing in front of her said, "It's why she doesn't have any-"_

 _The girl was cut off as a fist collided with the boy who had laid his hands on Max, the fist turning into a forearm as the person hitting him threw all their weight into the contact. Seeing a wave of golden hair cross her vision, Max's eyes lit up as her best friend Chloe Price came to her rescue. The blonde girl flashing Max a dazzling smile as she hit the boy who had struck Max, Chloe lifted her leg in a kick and felt her foot connect with the boy's butt as he tried run away. Falling onto the ground, the boy began to cry as Chloe clenched both her fists and stood in front of Max._

 _"You leave her alone!" Chloe shouted, teeth clenched as the other kids took a collective half-step back, "Go away, you buttheads!"_

 _"It's the snoop's girlfriend!" the same girl as before cried out, "C'mon. This isn't fun anymore."_

 _The group of kids leaving their fallen comrade behind, Chloe turned to kneel down in front of the sobbing Max. Holding her best friend in her arms, Chloe patted the back of Max's head as she saw a teacher approach._ Crap _, Chloe thought as the teacher began to take in the spectacle before her._

 _"It sounds to me like my daughter did the right thing," William Price said from inside the principal's office as Max and Chloe sat in the hallway._

 _Holding hands, Chloe had let Max lean the uninjured side of the brunette's face on her shoulder as they waited for whatever the principal decided. Telling both of their sides of the story, they were the favorable group when the other kids backed out of standing behind their disgraced leader. Still sniffling a bit, the shy brunette girl looked up at her increasingly taller best friend and gave her a goofy smile as Max rubbed her head into Chloe's shoulder a bit more._

 _"Dude, I don't wanna get lice," Chloe said, looking away while trying to look cool._

 _"What're lice?" Max asked, not understanding what Chloe meant._

 _"Bugs in your head."_

 _"I don't have bugs in my head, you butt!"_

 _"You never know, and stop callin' me butt! I_ totally _just saved your life, Max_!"

 _"I know…I'm sorry if you get in trouble, Chloe. You always come to my rescue," Max said with a pout before looking up at Chloe with a seriousness that surprised the blonde girl, "Someday,_ I'm _gonna save_ you _."_

 _"Maybe," Chloe said before growing silent, "Max, do you know what a girlfriend is?"_

 _"A friend…who's a girl…?" Max asked with a confused look on her face as she looked up at Chloe with curiosity, "Are we girlfriends?"_

 _"I think so. Yeah, I think we are," Chloe said, kissing Max on the forehead to the brunette's surprise._

 _"You kissed me!" Max exclaimed, her eyes widened._

 _"…That bad…?" Chloe asked, wincing as she looked down at Max. Feeling the other girl's hand tighten in her own, Chloe smiled as she saw Max look up at her with a bashful smile._

 _"Nahhhhh. So long as we're girlfriends forever. I love you, Chloe," Max said with a giggle._

 _"Really?" Chloe asked, her face become a little red as her eyes opened wide._

 _"I totally swear."_

No matter how many times Chloe tried the gentle way, Max refused to get out of bed in the morning. Pulling a pillow over her head, the brunette had let out a growl when Chloe had tried to pry the fluffy shield from where it sat on top of Max's head. _This is not the time for fucking around, Caulfield,_ Chloe thought as she nearly tore the pillow from trying to rip it from her fiancé's vice-like grip.

"Max! Come _on_! Literally a life-and-death decision to be made, and you're being fucking pouty? Dude, get…the fuck… _up_!" Chloe yelled, perturbed at Max's lack of movement.

Giving up on playing nice, Chloe grabbed the foot of the mattress and yanked it out a few inches. Seeing two glowing eyes look out at her from the shade under the pillow, Chloe felt a chill go through her body. _Wow, she's getting hella pissed_. Muttering "Don't give me that look, Goddamnit," Chloe yanked at the mattress with enough strength that it slid a foot out from underneath Max. Her head hanging from where the mattress had previous been nestled under her, Max hissed at Chloe before slowly sitting up. Hair disheveled, a single violet eye was visible as it stared up at Chloe for a moment before shifting back to its typical sky blue.

"You suck," Max mumbled as she slowly dragged herself out of bed. Glumly walking to the bathroom, Max closed the door and locked it behind her only to hear Chloe stop on the other side. Pausing for a moment, Max wondered if Chloe would kick her out of there as well before she heard the other girl sigh and walk toward the kitchen.

Turning to the sink, Max ran the cold water and splashed her face with a few cupped hands' worth of water. _Weird-ass dream, a memory of me and Chloe as kids coming just a day and a half from, well, whatever happens next. I wonder if she actually knew what girlfriends meant back then. My Che, coming to my rescue so many times when I was little that I thought she might actually keep track of all the IOUs._ Max couldn't help but grin at the idea of Chloe with a huge list of every time she had saved Max from a bully or held Max as she had cried over something. _My tally isn't as high, but the risks have been a hell of a lot higher. Things…things might never get any better, at least not where we could be headed._ Clearing her mind of the negativity, at least for the moment, Max brushed her teeth and showered. Coming out of the bathroom, Max dressed in a simple green t-shirt and blue jeans as she walked over to where Chloe was waiting with two large Styrofoam cups.

Chloe watched with fascination as Max grabbed the cup and proceeded to absently drink the contents through a bendy straw. _Yeah, she was a butt when I was trying to yank her from bed, but she's holding so much in right now. I sometimes forget, between all the cutesy shit, just how tough Max has become since she left years ago._ Noticing that she herself was presently being monitored by her own subject, Chloe nearly choked on her own beverage in surprise.

"Sorry, Maxaroni. Just…just wondering what you're going to do," Chloe said. Seeing Max's dismay, Chloe cleared her throat to speak again. "I didn't mean _that_. Barring any more drama, you have the rest of today and nearly all of tomorrow to do whatever. Sure, you have to make a decision somewhere in there. You can also have some fun with me, though, if you want."

"Very want. Much now. Chloe time. Wow," Max said with a faintly sly expression, setting her cup down so that she could sidle over to nuzzle her face into Chloe's arm. Trying not to cry at such a blatant display of affection, _She's so goddamn sweet_ , Chloe kissed the top of Max's head and lifted her up so that Max was now sitting on the kitchen counter in front of her.

"Soooo, what are we doing then…?" Chloe asked, running her fingers through strands of brunette hair as Max nuzzled her face into Chloe's neck, "Uh, Max…?"

Max didn't respond with action rather than words, locking her legs around Chloe's waist as she pulled the bluenette's body against her own. Hearing Max beginning to breathe harder, Chloe could've sworn she felt her face become very hot for a split-second. Putting a hand to one of her cheeks, Chloe felt cool skin make contact with cool skin and was momentarily confused by the memory before Max drew her attention back in. Feeling a small tongue lick at her neck, Chloe began to breathe herself as short puffs of cool air came along after each lapping sensation.

"Max…you… _unfff_ …you know you can't eat me, right?" Chloe asked, a small gasp escaping her lips as Max bit down at her neck with her fangs still retracted. _A hickey? Whew._

"Mmm" was Max's only response to Chloe's question, garnering a bewildered look from Chloe before the bluenette wrapped her arms around Max.

"Are we just going to stay here…in the kitchen…?" Chloe asked, feeling Max barely lift her mouth from the patch of skin that she had been nibbling at.

"Why are you talking?" Max asked in a hushed tone, "Let's play."

Letting out a roar of delight, Max leaned herself back. Taking Chloe along with her, Max released her hold on the other girl and tossed Chloe into the living room. The bluenette landing on the couch, Max spun around and slid off the kitchen counter only to land in a half-crouch. Chloe untangling her limbs from the awkward landing, shot Max an evil grin as both girls' eyes turned violet. Holding up a hand to pause the upcoming festivities, Max walked casually over to the light switch and the apartment was immersed in darkness.

Giggling, Max darted straight for Chloe. Hearing Chloe let out a cry of surprise at the direct attack, Max jumped up and snatched Chloe's beanie from her head. Pulling it onto her own head, Max scrambled on the floor as she landed and broke into a run as she made her way into the bedroom. Max barely had time to try and devise a strategy before she started to laugh as Chloe yanked the Asian blind separating the living room and bedroom areas out from behind the dresser and tossed it in the direction of the hallway. Seeing the blue-haired girl clearly with her violet eyes, Max couldn't help but snicker at her fiancé before she leaped up from her kneeling position and pushed at Chloe with enough strength that the other girl flew up into the ceiling.

Not knowing how to climb as well as Max did, Chloe scratched at the ceiling for the full second she seemed to float before she came hurtling down towards the floor. Landing on all fours like a cat, Chloe's head snapped up as she looked for the tiny brunette perpetrator. _Even with my hella cool powers, Max can still fucking hide. Sneaky little-_ , Chloe thought before she felt a finger tap at her shoulder. Quickly turning around, she grabbed at the beanie that was eye level to her and yanked it off. Her moment of triumph was fleeting, however, as Max ripped Chloe's shirt off in retaliation.

"What the fuck!?" Chloe cried out in shock before a growl escaped her as Max flung the tattered article of clothing in Chloe's face.

"Eheheheh" emanated from somewhere in the apartment, but Chloe couldn't see Max anywhere. Cussing under her breath, Chloe began to slowly walk back towards the bedroom area, leaning her head around in various directions as she methodically searched every corner.

Max watched from the bathroom, trying not to laugh as she watched 'Inspector Chloe' go at it with her search. _You could at least put on another shirt, Che. I mean, I'll rip it off, but you_ could, Max thought with a mental shrug as Chloe began to shift direction towards the bathroom. Looking around and realizing that she had boxed herself in, Max braced herself before swinging the door wide open. Hearing Chloe yell after her, Max sprinted out of the bathroom and flipped over the couch before making a break for it towards the hallway. Hearing Chloe run after her, Max hurriedly unlocked the door and made sure that no one could see her before she leapt up and swung herself onto the roof.

Coming at full speed out the open doorway, Chloe stopped in her tracks right before the steps and looked around. No sign of Max anywhere, Chloe furrowed her brow and peered under the landing to see if Max was hanging underneath before she felt a rush of air as Max landed right behind her. Feeling a tugging sensation, Chloe realized as her eyes widened that Max was in the process of yanking her jeans off. Clutching at the waistline of her jeans, Chloe cried out "Nonononono!" only to hear "Yesssss" from Max before a loud ripping noise signaled that Max's speed and strength had outmaneuvered Chloe's last-second attempt. Getting dropped nearly on her face from having her legs literally pulled out from under her, Chloe shot back a menacing look at a hysterically laughing Max as the door swiftly slammed shut. Hopping to her feet after the stun of Max's actions wore off, Chloe pounded on the wooden door separating her from the apartment as she heard the door lock with a _click_. _She did_ not _just leave me out here in my fucking bra and underwear! Fucking Max Caulfield!_

"Max! You let me the fuck in right now! This is totally not cool, Goddamnit! Let me in, you hella little shit!" Chloe barked as she heard Max snicker from the other side of the door, " _Max_!"

"…Okay, okay. Don't break down the door, Che. I was just playing around," Chloe could hear Max say after a moment before the door swung open. Chloe's irritation fizzled out as she saw that Max had stripped herself down to her own bra and boxers.

"Well…?" Max asked as she opened her arms out for Chloe, the bluenette quickly flashing a grin as she slammed the door behind her when she headed inside.

After what Chloe called a "Decathlon of Sexiness", the blue-haired girl couldn't help but laugh before Max smacked her with a pillow. Giving into Max's request to stay in bed as long as possible, Chloe's head was comfortably nestled in Max's lap as the two girls reclined in an easy silence. A smile on her face, Chloe looked up at the ceiling and suppressed a snigger at the small pockmarks where Max had dug her small fingers in before dropping down onto Chloe. The living room a disaster of knocked over furniture and scattered magazines and photo albums, they had moved from area to area of the apartment with the methodology of one of their nightly hunting forays. _That…that was hella_ , Chloe thought as she recalled the past four hours. _I can't believe that Max…wow. Just…just fucking wow._ Seeing Max lean her head down, Chloe lifted her own up so that they met halfway for a kiss before Max leaned back against the headboard of their now-broken bed.

"Y'know, if all the shit tomorrow ends on a high note we're going to have to get almost entirely new, well, _everything_ ," Chloe said with a chuckle as she felt Max laugh at the comment as well before growing still.

"I just wanted today for us. I wanted to just forget about everything. Being here in Arcadia Bay, everything that's happened, _all of it_. Just you and me in a space that is ours and ours alone, Che," Max said as she ran her fingers through Chloe's blue hair, a pained smile on the brunette's face.

"If _we_ make it out of tomorrow night, what's the next move?" Chloe asked, lifting herself up so that she was seated next to Max.

"…I don't know," Max said with a contemplative look on her face, "For me, this place was going to be my stop for a while. I-If I…go through with what they want from me, we could leave and just _go_."

"We?" Chloe said, smiling as she buried her face in Max's hair, lowering herself down slowly so that she began to line Max's cheek with small kisses, "That sounds hella nice, Max."

"It _does_ , doesn't it?" Max turned her head so that her lips met Chloe's descending ones and she tugged gently at the other girl's lip with her teeth before kissing her. "Round two?"

"Dude, I'm not tired or anything but I think that I hella need a break," Chloe said, trying to get up only to get her head pushed back into Max's lap, "You miss me already?"

"I missed you for five years, Che. Even when you're here with me, I want you closer." Max's voice was strained as a brief flash of sadness came across her eyes.

Lifting her arm up so that her hand caressed Max's cheek, Chloe stared up into the brunette's weary blue eyes and thought of how much Max coming back had come to mean. The nervousness had almost completely vanished at first when she realized what Max was. _I thought it was a fucking toy, a game, at first. You showed me more and more of your world, then you brought me into it despite your wanting what you thought was better for me. You frighten me, amaze me, and make me yours with every morning and every evening. You are all I need, Max. Well, that and killer weed. Heh._

"I love you, Max." Chloe's words were dense with meaning, each syllable laden with days and months and years of longing and pain.

"I love you," Max said, leaning down to look Chloe directly in the eye, "Hey. What's wrong?"

"What…what if things _don't_ go well tomorrow? What if all we have is today?" Chloe's question cut into Max deeply, the brunette biting her lip before speaking.

"Then we'll make today count."

Chloe and Max didn't leave each other's side for the rest of the day and evening. Driving around, they stopped at Two Whales for coffee and the familiarity of their booth. Finished there, they walked along the beach for a bit hand-in-hand. Max splashed Chloe with icy water as she kicked at the tide before screaming in terror as Chloe picked her up and threw her into the water. Electing to not display her agility in a public place during the afternoon, Max surrendered to the fantasy of her former mortality and let herself land on her face. Crying out as the shock of cold water quickly saturated her, Max swung her head up to see a significantly drier Chloe nearly fold in half with laughter.

"Jerk."

"Tease."

"Punk."  
"Hippie!"

Helping Max up, Chloe thought for a second that her fiancé was going to retaliate for the plunge when Max began to laugh as she wiped wet sand off her face. Joining in on Max's moment of happiness, Chloe helped her clean her face. Combing Max's hair as best as she could with her fingers, Chloe gave Max a kiss on the cheek and cringed at the wet grittiness of sand on her lips.

"But my face is au naturel!" Max smiled as she failed in looking offended by Chloe wiping her mouth off with her sleeve.

"Whatever you say, 'Little Derpmaid'," Chloe said between spitting out whatever remaining grains of sand still remained on her lips, "What next?"

"…Go fool around at the junkyard?"

"Why the fuck not."

The afternoon bled into the evening, which in turn gave way to a late night of alcohol and hunting for Max and Chloe. Playing music as loud as the small stereo speakers would go, the brick walls of Chloe's hideaway would have shook from the sound if they could. Bottles of beer, vodka, and moonshine were scattered on the ground as Max and Chloe drank themselves into a stupor. Nearly falling over each other, Max had run off into the woods with Chloe falling behind as they went after whatever they could find in the forest. Chloe didn't want the night to end, she didn't want _any_ of this to end.

Max woke up first, half-dressed in the woods with Chloe passed out next to her. Finding her phone a few feet away in a small nest of her shirt and hoodie, Max walked to the small bundle and silently dressed. _She's so peaceful,_ Max thought with a sad expression on her face. Yesterday had been amazing, but it had also been finite, and now Max knew what she had to do. Seeing on her phone that it was still morning, Max quietly tip-toed away from Chloe and checked her messages.

Seeing nothing new on her screen, Max shot Kate a quick message about meeting her at Two Whales for breakfast. Getting the reply that Kate would meet her there in half an hour, Max switched her phone off and crushed the small device in her hands. Looking back at the still sleeping Chloe, Max saw one of the bluenette's arms sluggishly move over to grasp where she had been lying down. Max felt hot tears come rolling down her cheek as she saw the sleepy grin form on Chloe's face as she curled herself back up in the blanket they had taken from Chloe's refuge.

"G-Goodbye, Che."

Max met Kate at the diner a little over half an hour later, Max having fed quickly before sprinting through the woods to the edge of town. Learning her lesson from last time she had used her abilities in daylight, Max had been thankful for the comparably shorter distance from the junkyard to the nearest bus stop versus another hospital-to-lighthouse trip. Walking inside, Max waved feebly at Joyce while picking the last bit of dry foliage off of her clothes as she made her way to where Kate was sitting. _Thank Dog that Dana isn't with her_ , Max thought as she plastered a fake smile on her face before sitting down across from the pleasant-looking Kate.

"Wow. I think this is the first time I _ever_ beat you here," Kate said with a grin as Max looked at her with a sardonic grin.

"Enjoy the moment while it lasts, Kate. Did you order already?" Max asked, smiling at Joyce as Chloe's mom came over with a cup of coffee.

"Max, did you sleep in the woods or something?" Joyce asked, her tone a little disbelieving as she took in Max's current state.

"Yep," Max said. _To hell with it._ _Bye, pretense._

"…Okay, then. I'm surprised Chloe isn't with you," Joyce continued on before seeing how Max's eyes suddenly looked very cold, "Well…I'll let you two continue on. Be right back with your orders."

"Are you okay, Max?" Kate asked, putting a hand on top of one of Max's. "You look nearly as upset as you did when Chloe had me meet you two here. What's wrong?"

"I…I'm in trouble, Kate," Max said, pulling her hand away from Kate as she ran both hands through her hair, "I'm in real trouble."

"Like what?"

"Before I came back to Arcadia Bay, I…I did some things. To survive, I had no choice. I fought…a lot. Now, the people that I was fighting against have given me a choice – I can either do what they say and they'll leave me alone, or I'm pretty much screwed." Max felt a knotting sensation in her chest as she tried to balance what she could tell Kate with what she should withhold. _Obviously, no vampire stuff. I just hope she doesn't think I'm a drug dealer or something like that…_

"…What do you mean by screwed?" Kate asked, leaning forward as she bore down on Max with an intense look.

"I'll be in a _lot_ of trouble. If I do what they want, I'll be free of them forever, maybe. If not, well, it won't bode well for me…"

"Are you in danger?"

"…Yes," Max blurted out, her thoughts consisting only of a repetitive _Shit!_

"Then you should-" Kate's sentence interrupted by her phone going off, "…you should do whatever you think is…sorry, my phone keeps going off." Pulling out her phone, Kate looked at it in puzzlement before glancing up at Max. "Uh, Max? Why is Chloe asking me where you are or if I've seen you?"

Max regretted her instant reaction, snatching the phone out of Kate's hand and slapping it face down on the table. Seeing Kate flinch slightly at the movement, Max let out a deep exhalation of air to try and calm herself down before looking back up at her worried friend.

"Sorry. I'm sorry about that," Max said, sliding Kate's phone back to her, "You _cannot_ tell Chloe that I'm here. Please."

"Why doesn't she message…you left your phone behind, didn't you?" Kate asked, sliding her phone into her bag as it began to vibrate again, "Max, _why_ doesn't Chloe know where you are?"

"Because whatever I decide, I don't want anything bad to happen to Chloe. I don't think I could function, much less…well, I just want Chloe to be steered clear of my bullshit's blast radius," Max let out with an exhausted sigh. "Please. Do _not_ tell her."

"…Are you seeing someone-?"

"What? _Dog_ , no! I'm not cheating on my fiancé, Kate. If Dana had to do something dangerous, don't you think she would try and keep _you_ away from whatever it was?" Max asked, her palms on the table as she leaned over to look at Kate. "I-I'm sorry. I need to go. I'll just go. Again, please don't tell Chloe." _I could turn Kate. She'd probably hate me for a while, but…ugh,_ no. _Not Kate. Kate doesn't deserve…_ this _. She's too good for this kind of life, too pure._

Getting out of the booth so fast she nearly spilled her camera bag's contents out, Max apologized to Kate and the approaching Joyce before making a run for the door. Looking back at the diner for what she worried might be the last time, Max ran down the sidewalk and was entirely oblivious to the commotion she had made inside Two Whales or that Kate was frantically messaging Chloe as Joyce asked Max's friend what was going on.

Knowing that she might have a little more time before Chloe came around, Max ran to the apartment as fast as she could without drawing attention. Nearly breaking the door down as she ran inside, Max pulled a piece of drawing paper from one of Chloe's sketchbooks and hastily scribbled a note for her love before going to the bedroom. Grabbing a balisong knife that had been taped to the back of her bedside table, Max yanked the covers and sheets off of the bed before cutting a hole in the middle of the mattress. Setting the knife aside, Max reached into the small hollow she had made in the foam padding when she brought the mattress to her apartment and pulled out a few stacks of dollar bills. Her emergency fund from all the photographs she had sold and jobs she had done online over two of the three years she had been on the run, Max took the money and set it next to the note before hastily scribbling "I love you, Che. I always will" and running out the door.

Trying not to cry as she walked the small boardwalk, Max plugged her earbuds into an old MP3 player and listened to a playlist that Chloe had made shortly after her return to Arcadia Bay. Aside from the grunge and punk that she knew would be expected of a playlist from Chloe, there were also some songs that her Che thought would be perfect for Max. Listening to "Mt. Washington" by Local Natives, Max rubbed the tears off her face as she battled inside herself. She didn't want to put someone through the same thing she had been living with for the past three years, but the image of a smiling Chloe kept invading her train of thought. Gritting her teeth so as not to scream, Max couldn't escape the question in her head of what Chloe would do if Max didn't come back tonight.

Leaving the boardwalk, Max walked up to a rock outcropping and slammed a fist into the jagged surface. Feeling a small crack form under her clenched hand, Max reared back to hit the rock again and again. Feeling her wrist begin to weaken, Max ceased punching and kicked the area of rock she'd weakened before walking away. She didn't need this, to be so emotional when she had to a decision to make. Moving to a secluded part of the outcropping, Max enjoyed some time in anonymity. Hidden away from prying eyes, Max hugged her knees to her chest and wished that she was a little kid again. She wanted Chloe to come and save her, but she also wanted to save Chloe.

Max wandered Arcadia Bay aimlessly, ideas of running and turning someone exchanging places in her head as she ducked into alleyways and into buildings occasionally to avoid a certain beater of a truck. Max caught a glimpse of Chloe as she had barreled down the street in her old truck, the blue-haired girl's face streaked with bloodstains from crying, and had almost ran out the door of the convenience store she had holed up in. _I'm so goddamn sorry, Chloe. I'm so fucking sorry_ , Max thought as she choked back her own sobs.

The sight of Chloe in tears as she combed the town for signs of Max brought their need for each other back into the forefront of Max's mind. She had been so focused on making sure that Chloe didn't come to any harm from whatever she chose that she hadn't thought about the fact that _she_ , Max Caulfield, was tearing Chloe apart right now in her intentional absence. _What am I supposed to do? I can bring Chloe with me, and we can run. I don't know if there're people waiting for us outside of town, though, in case someone figures we might try that._

 _"Fuck_!" Max yelled in the convenience store, oblivious to the looks that she got from the small number of patrons. Swinging the door open with enough force that the glass windows in it shook, Max left her temporary hideout and began to look at each person she came across with a renewed interest. She wouldn't turn someone who was married, had kids, or both. Whoever it was, Max decided, had to be single. _I don't want to cause too much of a panic. Single person is better than someone in a relationship…or someone else's parent. Dog, what am I…_ who _am I supposed to do this to…?_

"I wish I hadn't broken my phone," Max said to herself, looking over at a payphone that was nestled inside an alleyway, "They still have those…?"

Walking over to the battered device, Max picked up the receiver and heard a dial tone mixed with a little static. Fishing through her pockets, Max found some change and slipped in a couple quarters. Her hand shaking as she hesitantly punched the buttons, Max put the receiver to her ear as she heard a ringtone. Nearly hanging up after the second ring, Max almost cried as she heard a sobbing Chloe pick up on the other end.

"Max! Max, I know that's you! Please, please don't hide! Just…just talk to me…! _Please_! Max!" Chloe cried into her phone from the other side, sobbing between some of the words, "Please-!"

Max hung up and slid against the payphone, covering her eyes with a hand as she braced herself against the wall with another. Feeling the hot liquid coming from her eyes, Max wiped at the bloody tears frantically before running further down the alley in search of something to clean her face with. The dumpsters being empty, _Of course you are_ , Max ran back the way she had come to the convenience store and made a beeline for the restroom. Thankful she had avoided any prying eyes, Max furiously scrubbed at her face with the tacky-smelling hand soap until she thought her face might be brought back to life from all the force she was using in washing the blood off. Not bothering to dry her face, Max looked up in the mirror and came to a realization as she did so. _This isn't just for me. This is for Chloe. I…I know what I have to do. Dog forgive me._ Max walked with a measured pace out of the convenience store, running once she was out the door to what seemed like a predetermined destination.

Chloe Price was a nervous wreck. Waking up in the woods by herself, she thought for a few minutes that Max was playing around until she saw that her fiancé's clothes were gone. _Oh, no. No, no, fuck no_! Grabbing her own clothes and hurriedly running as she pulled her tank-top on, Chloe made it a few yards before she saw Max's shattered phone lying in the grass. Chloe was grateful at that moment that she no longer had a heartbeat, certain that she would drop dead from a heart attack right then and there.

Sprinting to the junkyard, not caring if someone saw her, Chloe slowed down as she approached the hideout and saw it had been undisturbed since they had left it last night. Not pausing for a second longer than needed, Chloe walked over to her truck as she tried to calm herself down. _Max is fine, I am fine. Everything…everything is…Jesus fuck, Max. Don't do this. Not now._ Feeling like she might cry, Chloe opted to punch an old refrigerator instead. Feeling the hollow door cave under the impact, Chloe panted as her feelings began to bubble up inside her before she pulled her phone out.

 **Chloe: Dana, u seen Max today?**

 **Dana: uh no. Y? U 2 fighting?**

 **Chloe: no but she's run off and I don't kno where**

 **Dana: is she okay?**

 **Chloe: I DON'T KNOW :'(**

 **Dana: an emoji? lol**

 **Chloe: Please. Please tell me if you see her.**

 **Dana: okay. Sorry – it sounds like ur serious. U should txt Kate! She might have heard from Max – she took off about half an hour ago!**

Slamming the driver's side door as she climbed in, Chloe dropped her phone next to her and started her truck up. Pulling out, Chloe kicked a cloud of dirt up as her tires spun from the gas pedal being pushed on the floor. Speeding out in reverse, Chloe hit the brakes and twisted the wheel so that her vehicle swerved out before she put it in drive. Flying down the hill, Chloe flipped the bird at a vehicle as she shot out of the dirt road and onto the highway leading back into town. Grabbing her phone again, Chloe proceeded to blow up Kate's number with message after message.

 **Chloe: Kate! Have u seen Max?**

 **Chloe: Kate? U there?**

 **Chloe: Where's Max, Kate?**

 **Chloe: KAAAAAATE!?**

 **Chloe: …are u with Max…?**

 **Chloe: Where is she where are u tell me NOW**

 **Kate: Chloe, something's wrong**

 **Chloe: ! Where the fuck have u been?!**

 **Kate: Max just ran out of Two Whales. Did she leave u behind or something? What's going on? She kept talking about being in trouble, having to make a choice and wanting to keep you out of harm's way…**

 **Chloe: Kate.**

 **Chloe: Which way did she go?**

 **Kate: Honey, this is your mom. What the hell is going on? Max looked like she was about to cry as she bolted on outta here.**

 **Chloe: not now mom!**

Stuffing her phone into her jacket pocket, Chloe thought about heading to the diner. _No. She just left there, dumbass, and I doubt the hillbillies will be fucking say anything to me. I'll start at the apartment. Please be there, Max. Please don't leave me, not again._

Nearly crashing her truck into the side of their building as Chloe shot her truck into the alleyway, she looked up as she came around to the back and saw that their apartment door was cracked open. _Is she there? You hella better be there, Goddamnit._ Leaving the truck running, Chloe ran out of the vehicle's cab and shot up the steps, shouldering the door as she sprinted the short distance into the living room. Everything seemed normal, Chloe noticed at first observation.

"Max? Max, are you here? Max?!" Chloe called out before running into the bedroom. Seeing the hole in the mattress, Chloe's brow furrowed in confusion before she ran back out into the kitchen and living room area and froze. Seeing three small stacks of dollar bills, Chloe felt her feet grow incredibly heavy as she dragged herself to the counter. Her hands shaking as she grabbed the bundles of money, Chloe's attention was diverted as she saw a note in Max's handwriting.

 _Che,_

 _I'm sorry for leaving. I wish that I could have just laid next to you and hid in the woods for the rest of, well, ever. I don't get that luxury, though all I want right now is just to be in your arms._

 _Loving you has been the best thing for me. I'm pretty sure that we were meant to be, y'know? What makes it even greater is that you loved me back. You loved me so damn much that it made the hurt go away, the loneliness of the past three years disappear in a single look or smile. I could get lost in you and for a while I did._

 _Don't come looking for me, Chloe. DON'T. I can't say what will happen tonight, but I don't think I could go through with whatever I choose if the idea of you dying becomes more than a thought. I loved you when I was alive, I love you right now when I'm undead, and I will ALWAYS love you._

 _Please. Don't try to find me. This time, I'll save YOU from the bullies._

 _Forever yours,_

 _Max Caulfield_

 _PS – take the money and RUN, Che. There's enough to get you started in a new life. RUN, Chloe Elizabeth Price!_

Chloe felt her legs give out, her hands losing their grip on the money Max had left her as she fell to the floor. No enhanced agility, speed, or strength could protect Chloe from the crushing weight of Max sacrificing herself to keep her love alive. Chloe sunk into a depression so intense that she couldn't even bring herself to cry; she just laid there, time seeming to stand still, as she stared off into space. Images of Max being torn apart, being boxed away, or being dragged away flashed before her eyes; each image pushing her deeper and deeper into herself. Chloe wanted to shut the world out, shut herself away and close the door on her heart forever.

 _"What do you truly want to do when you grow up?"_

 _"Max, I'm already grown up. What about you?"_

 _"Travel. That would be awesome. Explore the world. Go far from here…"_

 _"Far from me? Thanks a lot, dude."_

 _"Dude, you would totally come with me! I need a bodyguard for our adventures!"_

"Why? Why did you leave me?" Chloe cried as the memory of her and Max planning out their adventures came to mind. Chloe laid on the floor of what had been her and Max's home, tears running down her face in a bloody smear as she buried her face in her arms and curled into a ball. Unrelenting, the memories continued to hit away at Chloe's inner defenses, slamming into the wall she was desperately trying to put between herself and everything she knew.

 _If our daddies work together then you must be cool. I'm Chloe. I think we should be friends._

 _Really?_

 _Really._

"You l-lied to me. You're a liar. Y-you…you…Max…Max, why…?" Chloe choked out, her voice hoarse from crying. Her arms and legs feeling numb, Chloe got onto all fours and reached up to the counter. Pulling herself up, Chloe leaned against the counter as she panted in exhaustion. She was emotionally drained and felt like she was dying; Chloe leaned her head against the countertop and closed her eyes. Opening them, she found her attention drawn to the note Max had left behind.

Looking at the death note, Chloe clutched at it and crumpled the paper into a ball when she noticed the drops of blood sitting next to it. _Those…those are Max's. Max's tears. God, she was sobbing when she wrote this._ Looking down at the floor, Chloe noticed a trail of small red drops starting where the note had been on the counter and leading down and around the corner into the hallway. _She cried with every step. Max. My Max. I can't let you go. I won't._

Not caring that she left the apartment door wide open or who might be watching, Chloe jumped down from the landing and headed straight for her truck. Taking a second to thank whoever might be watching over Max that nobody had stolen her ride, Chloe shot out the other side of the small back lot and began to scour the town in search of her brunette hippie. Speeding down streets, swerving around corners, Chloe felt incredibly lucky about the lack of cops along her twisted route. Squealing her brakes as she parked in front of Two Whales, Chloe sprang out of her truck and rushed inside.

"Mom, has Max been back here?!" Chloe yelled as she stood in the doorway.

"Chloe, what the hell is going on? Why…why do you have blood on your face? Oh god, where is Max?"

"I don't know and _I…don't…know_! Has she been back here since earlier?"

"Well no, but…Chloe? _Chloe_!?" Joyce shouted after her daughter, Chloe taking off down the street before Joyce could get to the doorway herself.

Chloe was a wreck as the sun began to set. She had driven through Arcadia Bay, to Blackwell, the junkyard, and back around in a circle. Repeating her course over and over, Chloe ended up having to stop at a gas station and put a couple gallons in the tank. _I should've gassed up the beast_ before _I went on my wild-Max chase! Stupid!_ Slamming the nozzle back in its holder, Chloe ran inside to stuff a wad of money in the cashier's hand when she saw the look on his face.

" _What?_ " Chloe spat out, anxious to get back to her search.

"I've seen you drive by here a couple of times," the cashier said nervously, taken aback by the angry tone in Chloe's voice, "You looking for someone? A brunette girl, maybe?"

"Where the fuck did you see here? Was she here? _Talk_!" Chloe yelled as she grabbed the cashier by the collar and pulled him down so that he was inches from her face. "Fucking _talk_!"

"S-she was here twice!" the cashier stammered under the brilliant glare of Chloe's eyes, "I t-think the first time she ducked in was because of you. I s-saw her watch your truck fly down the street outside. The second t-time…she ran into the restroom. Her face was all…all _bloody_. Kinda like y-yours!"

Wiping her face with the sleeve of her jacket, Chloe was about to inquire further when she felt her phone go off. Dropping the cashier, Chloe walked outside in a hurry as she pulled out her phone to read the message. _Max? Please be Max. PLEASE be Max…_

Terrified and alone, she sped through Arcadia Bay as fast as possible. Praying that she managed to get through town without any cops noticing her, Chloe weaved her truck through alleyway after alleyway as she shot through town towards the lighthouse. _I'm on my way, Max! Please, just please hold on! Don't do anything fucking stupid! Don't be a hero! Please…_

Chloe could feel the steering wheel begin to warp under the pressure of her grip, the vinyl and metal bending slightly. Forcing herself to internalize her anxiety even more so, Chloe calmed her body and focused only on the road ahead of her. Street after street, intersection after intersection, Chloe let her mind race through dozens of different scenarios as she crossed through her hometown while her body was seemingly on autopilot. Looking out her driver's side window, Chloe watched as the Sun fell and gave way to the evening sky, orange becoming purple and black from out across the coast as she felt her heart sink deeper into her chest.

Images of Max, smiling and cheerful turning into pained and dying, popped into the forefront of her mind and Chloe found herself screaming as she continued to steer her vehicle.

" _Fuck! FUCK!_ " was all Chloe could verbalize, 48 hours of building dread and nerves poured into a single word with all the calamity of an oncoming storm. Max had taken off last night while Chloe had been asleep. That night had been amazing, Chloe would even say heavenly, and now the only thing she had to go on in finding the love of her life was a single word texted to her from the Irish guy that she had drank moonshine with only the other night.

"The goddamn lighthouse. I fucking swear, I'll hella burn that goddamn thing to the ground myself if anything happens to Max! I…I fucking swear! Ugh, _fuck_!" Chloe cried out in anguish as she cried at the idea of Max being locked away for years or maybe even being killed. Feeling something down her face, Chloe wiped at her cheeks and watched her hand come back from her face bloodstained.

Chloe's fangs popped out in her terror and anger, and she felt her throat go raw as she let her unfiltered emotions run rampant with another scream. With a string of obscenities and guttural roars that were only partially muted by the panes of glass in her truck doors, Chloe unconditionally told the entire world to go fuck itself. Putting the gas pedal onto the floor as she shot out of town, Chloe hissed at the roadside sign telling her to 'Come visit us again soon here at Arcadia Bay!'

Barreling into the parking lot, Chloe felt her breaks nearly give as the truck lurched to a sudden stop. Nearly snapping her key out of the ignition as she tore it out, Chloe kicked the door open without bothering to close it as she went speeding up the hill. The forest was dead silent as she ran up the lighthouse path. She wanted to sprint, to fly up the hillside and stop what kept running through her mind. _No way_ _Max would be willing to go through with turning someone. She turned me, but I was already dying. She'd have to consciously take someone's life and I can't stop her. She'll get locked away and I'll be alone all over again and I need her I_ need _my Max please don't take her from me she's all I want nonononono_ , Chloe's thoughts stringing together as the idea of Max locked up and buried away flooded every one of her senses. The smell of dirt, the touch of cold earth, the taste of soil and tears; it all overwhelmed Chloe and she found herself stopping just short of the hilltop as she dry heaved from the nerves running through her.

Staggering from the psychological shock of Max possibly being gone from her life, of being alone for what could be _centuries_ , Chloe stumbled her way up to the hilltop to see what she could only think of as the last scene of a horror movie. Max stood in the center of the cleared-out hilltop, clutching someone in front of her. Coming up from behind, Chloe couldn't get a good look at whoever Max was holding onto, but that wasn't what her attention primarily focused on. _They're like a fucking army. Hella fucked, Max. We are fucked._

Standing around Max in a semi-circle, the anxious British dude Max had referred to as Montrose stood with five other vampires as he leered at a crying Max. The other guy, Chloe remembered him being called Sheffield, stood at the door to the lighthouse and watched the unfolding events being played out with unwavering attentiveness. Despite Chloe's heightened senses, she couldn't hear anything or smell anything. Only what she saw before her coming in with a heightened clarity, Chloe stumbled forward and landed a few feet behind Max.

"You shouldn't have come here, Chloe," Max said, her voice drained of emotion as she looked over her shoulder to gaze at Chloe with bloody tears flowing from her eyes, " _Why_ did you come? I didn't even tell you where I was going? _How…_?"

"I told her," Montrose said, pulling a phone out of his pocket and waving in the direction of Max and Chloe, "I nicked this from your pal Stephen, Ripper. See, it occurred to me and mine that if you _didn't_ comply with our gracious host's offer of clemency that your mate might try something. Two for one. We'll box you both up after we-"

"You. Won't. Fucking. _Touch her_ ," Max growled, Chloe tensing as she watched Max stiffen. Still unable to see whoever it was Max was holding, Chloe thought she could hear the sound of someone stirring away.

"Wha…where am I?" a familiar voice asked as Chloe saw a head lift itself up from Max's chest and look at Max with a sleepy haze.

"Caulfield? What the…what the fuck? What's going on? Hey…hey, let _go_ of me…," Victoria Chase mumbled as she fidgeted inside Max's unbreakable grip, "Max! Let me go, you fucking piece of-"

" _Sleep_ ," Max said, her tone one of command as she stared into Victoria's eyes. Chloe watched in a mixture of wonder and apprehension as Victoria's eyes fluttered before going limp in Max's arms.

"Turn her," Montrose said, pointing at Max, "Do it."

Chloe heard Max growl before she turned and looked at Chloe. Violet eyes staring holes into her, Chloe watched Max's fangs slid out as she reared back her head. Bringing her head down, Max was about to feed on Victoria when…

…when she stopped.

 _I can't do it,_ Max said, body shaking as her face was inches from Victoria's neck and a life without having to look over her shoulder. A life where she can be with Chloe and they could be happy. _I…I just_ can't _. If I can't do this, the least I can do is try and slow them down. If I don't_ kill _them maybe they'll spare Chloe after I give her a head start_. Max turned herself around, scooping up the unconscious Victoria, and walked over to a still-kneeling Chloe. Taking a knee herself, Max slowly handed Victoria to a befuddled Chloe, seeing the dawn of realization spread across Chloe's face as her blue-haired fiancé simply mouthed _No_ before Max replied with a _Run_.

Spinning as she got back to her feet, Max lowered herself into a crouch and hissed as she sprinted directly for Montrose with her fangs bared. Hearing Chloe take off with the unconscious girl, Max let her heart go cold as she released the rage from three years of near-endless struggle and pain. Leaping into the air feet away from Montrose, Max swung a foot down and caught her prey at his collarbone. Grinning with a giddy abandonment of her senses, Max cackled as she felt the vampire's bones shatter where her foot made contact. Landing on her other leg, Max pivoted and slid the foot on Montrose's collarbone to his neck where she hooked him and tossed him to the ground hard.

Hearing the other vampires who had joined Montrose come running at her, Max jabbed a fist out to her right side and caught one nameless victim with a crunching blow to his sternum as she sprinted to another part of the hilltop. Taking the split-second to regroup, Max sprinted again as she grabbed another one of Montrose's lackeys and slammed her into the lighthouse with a dull _boom_ as flesh impacted against old concrete and metal. Not paying attention as her prey fell from where she had connected with the structure, Max turned her head only for it to spin back as a fist connected with the side of her face.

Stumbling, Max felt another fist connect with her side and she howled at the feeling of ribs cracking from the impact. Grabbing the fist before it could pull all the way back from her ribs, Max took the clenched hand and rammed it up and into the throat of its owner before leaping away from a cinderblock being tossed directly towards her head. Feeling wind rush past as the projectile flew right by her head, Max watched it for a moment before turning around to see a second cinderblock connect with her left forearm. Feeling bones grind against themselves, Max felt her forearm break before the bone ruptured the skin above where it normally was set.

Hissing at the origin of the blocks, Max rushed headlong into the perpetrator as she thrust her right shoulder into the chest of one of Montrose's brood. Feeling the body crumpled beneath her force, Max winced as she a small wave of exhaustion rippled across her body. Shaking the start of cobwebs out of her mind, Max ducked as she narrowly missed a foot that vainly tried to connect with her throat only to get kicked by another foot squarely in the stomach. Lifted off her feet, Max felt someone grab her by the hair and lay into her skull with a punch that sounded like thunder when it connected.

Dazed, Max felt another punch land across her face before someone connected a foot to one of her knees. Crying as she felt the kneecap buckle, Max worked herself back up and flew at Montrose, the vampire nursing his broken collarbone as he watched from a short distance away. _Fuck your lackeys,_ Max thought as she saw him notice her approach with stark terror, _You're mine_! Giggling at her prey's dread-induced scream, Max caught Montrose by the collarbone and crushed the bone altogether as she winced from the pain in her forearm. Tightening her hold with both hands as she flipped over and around Montrose, Max landed right behind him and stumbled from the weight shifted onto her injured knee. Screaming with a gleeful look on her face, Max kicked Montrose's legs out from under him and snapped the foot of her injured leg into the small of his back.

"Help me!" Montrose cried out as his followers that were still lucid enough began to move towards him before they cringed when he shrieked in pain. Looking at all of the other people on the hilltop, Max smiled before and during her breaking of Montrose's back. Standing on her good leg, Max dragged the injured one up into the air and slammed it down with all the force she could gather. Feeling the knee buckle again before her leg broke, Max's howl of pain turned to laughter when she felt the small of Montrose's back crunch beneath her foot. Panting, blood trickling down her nose and mouth as her hair hung partly over her face, Max staggered as she slid her foot off of the paralyzed vampire and watched the gawking onlookers with bright violet eyes.

"So quiet," Max teased before looking over at Sheffield, the stoic gentleman not having budged from his spot at the lighthouse door, "C'mon ref! Play ball or whatever! Still standing, aren't I? How about the rest of you?! _Come on_!"

Max limped forward, cradling her broken arm in her good hand as she tried to lunge at her attackers only to fall flat on her face. Max slowly pulled herself to her knees, looking up to see Sheffield watching her from his new vantage point only a few feet away. Crouching down so that he could look Max in the eye, Sheffield looked almost sad to Max.

"You didn't kill them." Sheffield's tone was quiet and somber as he gestured to the results of Max's onslaught, "I think it might've been easier on you if you had went for the kill, Max. Why didn't you?"

"…If…if I didn't kill them…," Max gasped while trying not to cry out in agony, her injuries beginning to take their toll as the exhilaration of fighting began to ebb away. Gritting her teeth, Max let a strained growl out as her broken knee was pressed on more from the shifting of her own weight. "…I thought… _hoped_ …that you would leave Chloe alone…give her time to run…"

"You spared them to spare your lover?" Max could only nod at Sheffield's question, squeezing her eyes shut as the world seemed to dim around her for a moment. _Can't…pass…out…_

"Gotta…gotta fight," Max finished, the filter between thought and word shutting off as she continued forcing herself to stay conscious.

"Actually," Sheffield said as he looked over Max's shoulder with eyes widening, "I do not think that you do."

Max sluggishly turned her head to see what Sheffield was looking at before she felt a warbled cry escape her lips, the sound coming out more like a whine as she struggled to move.

"N-No…please, no. Chloe, why…why did you…oh fuck, why did you…?" Max gasped, her eyes widening as she swayed a little. Feeling hands wrap around her arms, Max turned back only to see a sad look on Sheffield's face as he helped her up.

"Go," Sheffield said with a mournful tone, "Be with her while you can. You're in no condition to escape anyway, Max."

Wincing with each step, Max dragged herself over to where Chloe stood and tried not to cry as she saw the blackened eyes Max knew came from feeding on human blood. Letting herself fall into Chloe's chest, Max felt achingly familiar hands push her away after only a moment's contact. Looking up at Chloe, Max felt her lower lip tremble as she gazed at the darkened eyes of her love.

"I…I couldn't risk you coming here, Che. I didn't…didn't want you to end up however I-I'm going to. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I thought I was sparing you-" Max's pleas of forgiveness were silenced as Chloe leaned down and kissed Max slowly on the lips, Max feeling a slight jolt of energy run through her as the small amount of human blood on Chloe's lips connected with her own. Panting as Chloe broke the kiss, Max nearly fell to her knees before Chloe caught her.

"Max…do you trust me?" Chloe asked, her voice low but warm as she cradled Max's broken jaw with soft fingers before snapping it back into place.

"You know the answer," Max said, wincing from the sharp pain as she worked her jaw a bit while Chloe helped her up so that she was steadied against a tree.

"I will be _right back_ ," Chloe said as she sprinted down the hill, Max wondering in her half-conscious mind what Chloe was up to. _Wait_ , Max thought as her eyebrows knit together, _Blood…feed…Chloe…Chloe you_ didn't _…_

Chloe returned with what Max had feared. Lying in Chloe's arms, a barely conscious Victoria Chase looked at Max with eyes opened wide. Trying to speak, Victoria could only cough up red spittle as her abdomen expanded and contracted in an uneven pattern from attempts at taking in a full breath. Lying Victoria at Max's knees, Chloe stood back up and looked across the hilltop to where Sheffield was standing. With a gesture, he halted the advance of the vampires that could still stand.

"If she turns someone, will you still leave us alone?" Chloe asked with a defiant tone, her hands clenched at her sides.

"…I will," Sheffield said after a pause, weighing the decision as she looked back at Montrose.

"You can't possibly-!" Montrose shouted before shutting up from the look in Sheffield's eye.

"Do not propose to tell me _what_ I can and cannot do in my own territory. You are not dead, and you _will_ heal. What Ms. Caulfield did was not even for her own gain, but rather this young lady's. Besides," Sheffield said with a smirk as he returned his gaze toward Chloe, Max, and the dying human girl, "I honestly do _not_ fucking like you, you little shit."

Max watched Chloe kneel back down on the side of Victoria that was opposite her own, the blue-haired girl's face unreadable. Not acknowledging her right away, Max's body shuddered for a moment as the smell of Victoria's blood made her hungry. Panting, Max looked up at Chloe and saw that he fiancé was crying.

"Why, Che? Why do this?" Max pleaded.

"I did what you couldn't bear to do, Max," Chloe quietly spoke as she leaned her foreheads against Max's, "You don't have to worry about hurting her. That's on me, Maxaroni, and it always will be. I can deal with that, but I can't deal with the idea of losing you. Please…please just turn her."

Max felt her insides churn as she looked down at Victoria and thought of the events leading up to her own turning. Victoria wasn't drugged like her, wasn't preyed upon like she was, but a familiar hurt reflected back at her from the blonde girl's bloodshot eyes. Wiping away Victoria's tears, Max bent down so that she could kiss the dying Victoria Chase on the forehead. Getting a gurgling whimper in reply, Max looked at the girl with a sad smile.

"You can die, Victoria. I can end your suffering right now, and you will be at whatever peace comes after this. I wouldn't wish this on anyone," Max said, pausing to sniffle, "I wasn't given a choice, but I can give you one. What do _you_ want? Do you want to die…or live again?"

Searching Victoria's eyes, Max looked down at the girl as Victoria suddenly grew very quiet. Reaching a shaky arm out to Max, Victoria feebly beckoned the battered brunette to come closer. Chloe moved around Victoria as Max wavered, the blue-haired girl taking Max's shoulders in her hands to keep Max from falling. The brunette hovered over Victoria's face as she leaned down with her haunting violet eyes to watch Victoria mouth her answer.

"Okay, Vic. Okay," Max said as she smiled kindly at Victoria once more, "Close your eyes, Victoria."

Max bent low over the dying form of Victoria Chase as she sunk her fangs into the red wetness of her bloodied neck, eyes slowly turning black as she fed.

 **2015**

 _*Welcome to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport*_ flashed across the small LED display as the gate leading out from the plane opened. Passengers spilled out in an uneven trickle, families and solitary travelers colleting in random bundles as everyone headed _somewhere_ for the holidays. The flight had been nerve-wracking, noisy, and an overall pain in the ass. Flights were usually like that. This flight was more so for some of the passengers than others.

"I can't believe you couldn't get us First Class," a voice said in a haughty, irritable tone as three girls stepped out of the plane with their carry-on bags in tow, "I mean, I get being inconspicuous, Max. I really do, but what the fuck?"

"You could _try_ and keep your cool, Victoria," Max Caulfield asked the blonde girl, muttering "Wowsers" as she looked out at the large pavilion before them. "You don't see Chloe complaining, do you?"

"Chloe's your _wife_ , Max. I don't have to behave…well, not _all_ the time," Victoria growled before seeing the look Max shot her. Glancing down for a moment, Victoria bit her lip at the small brunette's momentary flash of anger when Max mouthed _Quiet!_ before Victoria herself thought _Stupid sire bond!_

"Relax, Icky Vicky," Chloe said with a smirk, "It could be worse, we could be hiding in another cargo hold like the last time we flew-"

Elbowing Chloe in the ribs, Max gave the bluenette an irritated look before she took Victoria's hand and gave the agitated blonde a peck on the cheek. Hearing Chloe gasp, Max spun around and took Chloe's hand before giving Chloe a loving kiss. Hearing a disgusted "Ugh. Get a room, preferably far from me", Max sighed as the phrase 'baby drama' popped into her head.

Receiving a crash course in vampirism from Sheffield as Max and Chloe waited for Victoria to turn, both girls nervous at the possibly that she might _not_ , Sheffield had described in detail how a Maker can imprint his or her will on someone they turned if they so choose to do so. Telling her momentary tutor that she felt that Victoria could be unpredictable as she didn't share the love Max and Chloe felt for one another, Sheffield pressed upon her the necessity to reign in her new progeny. Frowning at the idea of Victoria being something like a puppet, Sheffield calmed Max down by explaining that it was more like the ties between a parent and child.

"Does this make Chloe a baby daddy?" Max had blurted out, laughing at the idea.

"Ugh! I don't want to be Icky Vicky's baby _anything_ , Max," Chloe said, pretending to gag.

"You killed her and expected me to turn her, Che. Honest-to-Dog, what were you thinking was going to happen? Just set her loose on the town. 'Fly. Be free…oh, and if you could not kill anyone that'd be _great_ '?" Dork."

Hearing Sheffield cough to bring their attention back to the matter at hand, Chloe and Max both listened intently as he further elaborated on the basics of what it meant to be a _free_ vampire. Realizing that neither girl would remain in his territory for too much longer, Sheffield explained that so long as they kept to themselves and didn't piss anyone off they should be fine to travel wherever before glancing over at the still-healing Montrose.

"…You _might_ want to avoid England for the time being, though," Sheffield said to Max and Chloe with a smirk as they looked to see Montrose giving the three of them a middle finger from his prone position on the ground.

Presently trailing along by a hurried Victoria and a lackadaisical Chloe, Max couldn't help but smile. Lost in thought, Max wondered what how she would have reacted two years ago if her present self were to tell the Max Caulfieldfrom 2013 about this odd little arrangement. _'Oh my Dog' would definitely be applicable. Still is, honestly._ Gathering her thoughts, Max returned to present day as the three of them headed toward the luggage drop-off.

Due to their new addition, Chloe and Max had remained in Arcadia Bay until Victoria graduated from Blackwell. The first month had been difficult; Max had to practically keep Victoria under nightly surveillance, relying on Chloe to hunt by herself for weeks straight. Victoria, while initially hostile to both of them, had eventually wilted under Max when the brunette used her new sire knowledge to get Victoria to calm down. Taking Victoria out with her on hunts for just the two of them, Max had coaxed a side of Victoria that was not _as_ mean as her typical behavior. The only time Victoria had bungled a hunt was the first trip, when she failed to dress appropriately and cried when blood spatter covered one of her cashmere sweaters.

"Consider your ruined clothes a lesson, Victoria," Max had said with a firm voice, eyeballing Victoria until the blonde girl nodded meekly under Max's commanding presence.

After graduation, the three girls had said their farewells to friends and family as they headed off to explore the world. Ireland, France, Rome, and many more places; Max rediscovered places she had already been through Chloe's wide-eyed joy and enthusiasm, Victoria protesting as she tagged along while being just as amazed as the bluenette. After half a year, Max had finally consented to Victoria's request to go on her own under one implicit condition.

"You will _not_ turn anyone or feed on a human," Max said, eyes focusing on Victoria's as she invoked the connection between them, "Unless it is an emergency you _will_ hunt animals and that is all."

No questioning tone, no waiting to see if Victoria complained. Growing confident as she embraced more of her vampiric nature, albeit a bit reluctantly, Max told Victoria to keep in touch and to come back to her when called. Feeling a single pang of sadness at leaving, having grown accustomed to Max being around to help her, Victoria had hesitantly given Max a hug.

"…Thanks, I guess. For everything," Victoria whispered in Max's ear before speaking further, "If you tell _her_ I said that I swear I will put iron through my own fucking chest."

"…Max? Hey, Maxaroni, snap out of it!? Chloe said as she waved her hand across Max's dazed expression. _I didn't think she drank_ that _many of those little bottles of booze. My girl's got a hella constitution, so what the hell is this?_ Looking up confusedly at Chloe for a moment, Max sheepishly looked away in embarrassment as Chloe gave her a wry smile. _Still Max fucking Caulfield, you nerd._

Running her hands through her shoulder-length blue hair, Chloe pulled her old beanie on and began to load up their rental car. _Never thought we'd come back. I knew it might happen, but two years seems hella short as well as too damn long. Mom practically screamed in my ear with_ way _too much excitement when I told her we were coming for Christmas. Just glad Vicky is going to her parents' and not with us. Also, her getting her own damn car is fucking nice._

Chloe looked over at the brunette girl standing by the passenger side of their SUV and stopped loading up the luggage to walk over to Max and hold her lover for a moment. While they considered each other married, even wore wedding bands to show their commitment, they hadn't done anything official. Chloe didn't feel they needed to, and Max had mentioned something about 'avoiding too long of a paper trail'. Feeling Max kiss at her jawline, Chloe tilted her head downward so that Max could give her a proper kiss.

"Soooo, it's just us now," Chloe said as she pulled Max to the back so that she could finish loading up their luggage, "Nice to be just the two of us again."

"You're such a dork," Max said as she sat in the back of the SUV, her legs dangling off as she lazily kicked her legs, "My dork, though, so I'll allow it."

"You'll allow it? That's cute, Max. Real fucking cute," Chloe chided with a wry grin.

"I could bind you, bend you to my will. Come to the Max Side, Chloe Price. I have cookies…and sex."

"If you even _tried_ to pull that on me, I'm pretty sure I could take you," Chloe said before seeing Max's head snap up to look at her in amusement, "Okay, okay. I'm just kidding. Do I still get cookies and sex?"

"You can always have cookies. Sex? _Maybe_."

"Brat."

"Dork."

"Nerd."

"Asswipe!"

"Fuckface!"

Both girls giggling as they thought about how many of their conversations ended in name-calling, Max slipped over the back seat and into the SUV's interior. Climbing her way into the passenger seat up front, Max tried and failed to hide her surprise at the already-seated Chloe. Starting their rental car, Chloe pulled out of the parking lot and headed away from the busyness of Seattle as she slid a burned disc called 'Max and Chloe's Excellent Adventure' into the CD player.

Joyce Price sat at the dinner table of her home as the Christmas dinner she had made warmed in the oven. The girls having called her to say they'd be a little late, Joyce had tried to sound disappointed but couldn't manage to get the right tone. She was too excited. Looking through one of several new additions to her collection of albums, Joyce sipped at her coffee as she looked at the collection of Max and Chloe's memorabilia. Postcards, photos, hand-written letters from Max, and printed out e-mails from Chloe, her girls had kept in as much contact with Joyce as possible through their travels. Sometimes, Joyce even felt that she had been traveling with them from the amount of mail she received. A miniature Eiffel Tower sat on the fireplace's mantel along with miniatures of the Pantheon, Blarney Castle, and several other replicas of famous structures across Europe.

Chloe and Max's last stop in Europe, the one where they had somewhat settled down into, was Amsterdam. Max had written that while Chloe was disappointed in how stricter the Netherlands had become they both enjoyed the culture enough to rent a house as opposed to stay in another hostel. Selling her professional work to local tourism establishments as well as setting up a travel blog filled with her own pictures and Chloe's writings on each place, Max had sent the link to Joyce. To say Joyce was astonished would be an understatement; the world that Max and Chloe had discovered together seemed both alien and wonderful as Joyce thought with a teary eye how happy she was that her baby girl had become truly happy with her so-called 'partner-in-crime'. Looking up to wipe the tears out of her eyes, Joyce was startled for a moment at the sound of "Mom!" from outside the front door. Taking a final drink from her cup of coffee, Joyce stood up and smoothed out her sweater as she made for the door.

"Hi, Joyce," Max said with a smile before sticking her tongue out at Chloe.

"What did you do _now_ , Chloe?" Joyce asked as she saw the amount of snow piled up on Max's shoulders and in her hair.

"Nothing! You saw nothing, so I totally did nothing!" Chloe said, eating her words a moment later as Max smashed a handful of the snow Chloe had pelted her with into the bluenette's face in retaliation.

"She's such a…a _butt_!" Max said emphatically as she stomped her boots free of snow when walking in.

"I am _not_ a butt! Besides, you _like_ my booty," Chloe said, pouting as she failed to woo Max with her puppy eyes.

"How about you both give it a rest and give me a hug? I haven't seen either of you since, what, May of last year?" Joyce asked, opening her arms as Max nearly ran her over with a hug as Chloe followed behind with a small degree of embarrassment. "Welcome home."

 **Author's Note – If I get a 'You son of a bitch' message from someone over the next day or two after this is put up, I won't be surprised. If it makes anyone feel better, I cried when Chloe remembered her talks with Max after she had found Max's note in the kitchen. Seriously, I bawled.**

 **This concludes Intersecting Worlds, Interconnected Hearts. What a goddamn ride this story has been. I never thought it would go this long, near a** _ **month**_ **. I chose to do a time jump at the end because it felt like an appropriate conclusion. Some of the best literature I've read has left plotlines and side arcs open for the reader's imagination and I wished to do that here. Do Kate and Dana stay together? What was Max basically raising Victoria as a newbie vampire like? I leave that up to your own thoughts and hopes.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this story and were moved by it as much as I painstakingly poured my own feelings into this while I was writing. Everyone who reviewed over the course of this chapter-by-chapter release, everyone who sent me a message or re-post on Tumblr – you are all amazing and I kinda love you right now.**

 **Over 225,000 words and this was only my third story. I don't know if I could write something this lengthy very soon, but I'd like Fighters to at least be more than The Power is On and Rebel Girl combined.**

 **Read, review, and thanks for the views! Seriously, every reader of this rocks in my book!**

 **See you in Fighters and the in-progress sequel two-parter to First Date, aptly titled "Second Date"**

 **Stay hella, Cinnamon Rolls, and yes – Max's line to Victoria as she was dying IS a war boy reference from Fury Road! Booyah!**

 **-rowanred81**


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